Stand Together
by ifsoever
Summary: Previously, The Mothers of the Bride. Bo and Lauren are divorced. Their daughter's getting married. Now they have to spend a week together. Doccubus and family story.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N**

 **Loosely based on canon, takes place 30 years after the events of 5.08.**

 **It is 30 years later so they will be somewhat OOC.**

 **Bo and Lauren have been divorced for 5 years. (the reason will be revealed later-don't worry it had nothing to do with Dyson or cheating)**

 **Lauren used her magic science to increase her lifespan-her reasons will be revealed later. She's not Fae just a human that ages slower.**

 **They have 2 children, Charlotte and Ethan (twins/Fae)**

 **Trying to keep it light on angst and plot, not fluff just not as complicated as my other fic.**

* * *

Chapter One.

"Charlotte everything is going to be just fine, you'll see," Ethan said, grabbing his sister's hand to try and calm her.

She groaned, "Says you."

"What are you so worried about?"

"Um, isn't it obvious? Our parents together in one place for a whole week! It'll be a disaster, I know it."

Ethan chuckled at his sister; she could be a drama queen sometimes.

"Don't laugh!" she was getting angry knowing her brother wasn't taking this seriously.

"I'm sorry, Char. What do you think they'll do?"

She gave him one of her trademark death glares, "You never know what those two."

He laughed again. He couldn't help it his sister was ridiculous, he wasn't sure when it happened, but she was letting the stress of planning her wedding drive her crazy, to the point of overreacting to everything.

"Oh, I like these! What do you think about these?" she pulled down a pair of shoes.

"Don't you have some friends you could be doing this shopping with?"

"I need an honest opinion." She slipped the shoes on and looked into the mirror, "And you're always honest even if it hurts my feelings."

"True." He looked at the shoes and wrinkled his nose, "Those are hideous by the way."

"Really? I thought they were cute." She pouted and put the shoes back. "You're in charge of our moms by the way. They are your responsibility; I'm trusting you to make sure they don't-"

"Kill each other?"

"Or worse." She pulled down another pair, "These?"

He shook his head. "I don't think they've even seen each other in…gosh three years or something."

"That's what I'm worried about. All those years of pent-up anger or…lust…gross, waiting to explode. Anything can happen when those two are in a room together."

"Oh my gods, Charlotte they're grown women, I think they can get through your wedding without killing each other or fornicating like bunnies."

She gave him a frustrated look. "Don't be so sure."

XXXXX

 _Cayman Islands, 6 days before the wedding, private hotel resort._

"Where the hell is she?"

"She'll be here soon. You know she likes to make an entrance."

Charlotte glared at her brother, something he was getting a lot of these days. "This isn't about her. I hope she realizes that this is my day! No, my week. Geez, not everything is about Bo Dennis!"

Ethan bit the inside of his cheek to bite back his comments, the stress of the wedding was getting to her, and his patience was starting to wear thin.

They heard the conversation around them increase and sure enough, Bo had just walked into the room, followed by a tall, beautiful redhead.

"Finally," Charlotte muttered. "She always gets the room's attention."

Bo walked up to the pair.

"Mom." Ethan greeted Bo first and hugged her.

"Hey, baby." She said to Ethan in a sweet voice.

Bo smiled and turned to Charlotte. "Hey, pumpkin." She pulled Charlotte into a tight hug. "Congratulations."

"Really, ma? With the pet names?" Charlotte huffed.

"It's my right as your mother."

"This is so fucking sweet. I might puke from sugar poisoning." The red-haired woman, who walked in with Bo, said.

Ethan and Charlotte stared at the woman, confused.

"Oh, right. My loves this is Jasmine."

"Is she your girlfriend?" Ethan and Charlotte asked in unison.

Bo laughed.

"More like friends with benefits," Jasmine said winking at the pair.

"Um…Ok then." Ethan said.

"Wonderful!" Charlotte said excitedly. "I'm so happy you're here!" She pulled Jasmine into a hug, smiling wide.

Bo and Ethan watched the interaction, bewildered. They wore the same expression. Ethan really was the male version of Bo, looks, mannerism everything about him was Bo, except he followed in Lauren's footsteps and became a doctor.

"Wow, what a greeting," Jasmine said, smoothing out her dress. "I think I'm going to go check out our room. Give you all time to catch up."

She pulled Bo into a kiss, not a peck, a full kiss, tongues and all.

Ethan looked away, rolling his eyes. Charlotte stood grinning ear to ear.

"She seems nice," Charlotte said after Jasmine walked away.

"Uh, huh. I wonder why you're so happy she's here?" He whispered to his sister.

"What does that mean?" she feigned innocence, "I just want my mom to be happy and Jasmine seems-"

"Nice. Right. That's all it is, right." He shook his head.

XXXX

"Let me help you with that, Doc," Dyson said, grabbing Lauren's bag from the ground, offering her a charming smile.

She grinned back at him, her eyes wide, "Dyson." She pulled him into a hug. "It's been too long. How long has it been?"

"Oh, I don't know three years. Not since my wedding." They pulled apart. "Guess, we only get to see you when someone gets married now." He teased.

"Yeah, sorry, I've been busy. How is your wife?"

"She's great, really great. Married life suits me."

Lauren scoffed, "Hey it only took you like a hundred years to finally do it."

He chuckled, "So busy, huh? Are you sure you're not avoiding a certain succubus?"

"Of course not."

He grabbed all her bags and started toward the hotel.

"Dyson I can carry my own bags."

"You know me, Doc, I'm a gentleman." He winked at her. "It's the least I can do for my old friend and favorite doctor."

Lauren decided to let him carry her bags without complaining.

"Are you ready for this?" he asked.

"What?"

"Bo, you, together for a whole week. Should be interesting."

"You know Charlotte keeps sending me those same questions. Why is that everyone thinks I can't spend a week with her?"

He turned over his shoulder and gave her a knowing look.

"Yeah, ok." She said rolling her eyes. "But I think I can manage going a whole week without falling back into Bo Dennis' bed."

"We'll see, Doc, we'll see."

XXXX

Bo stood between her children and watched as they bickered back and forth. She was pretty sure that everyone in the resort could hear them. Charlotte's internal filter, if she even had one, seemed to be turned off at the moment.

"This wedding planner is dreadful! I should fire her."

"Isn't she like your third wedding planner? I think she's doing a great job."

"Seriously, Ethan? She's a nightmare."

"Yes, _she's_ the nightmare."

"Hey, I just want everything to be perfect."

"It will be." Bo offered; she was too busy watching the room to get too involved in their argument.

Charlotte sighed, "I'm only getting married once, I deserve the wedding I want."

Ethan laughed, "I dunno about the once part."

Charlotte narrowed her eyes, "What does that mean?"

"I'm just saying, the way you're acting lately…"

XXXX

Bo slipped away from Charlotte and Ethan's argument; she headed across the room to mingle with the other wedding guests. Many people she knew, many she didn't. Immediately, she walked through a barrage of compliments.

"Can't believe you're the mother of the bride!"

"You look amazing in that dress!"

"Wow! You look fantastic."

Bo nodded politely and made her way to the bar, untangling herself from a very forceful, drunk older Fae.

"You always did know how to work a room." Came a very familiar voice from behind.

Bo turned to look, Dr. Lauren Lewis, stood smiling. Even after all these years, her smile never failed to make Bo's pulse quicken.

"Lauren."

"Bo."

They stood looking at each other without speaking for a long moment.

XXXX

Charlotte eyed her parents from across the room. "Oh no."

"What?" Ethan asked following his sister's gaze.

"Look at them." She threw up her hands in dismay, almost spilling her drink, "It always starts with the staring. They look like they're undressing each other with their eyes! Geez!"

"You're hopeless. At least they're not arguing."

"I thought you were going to watch them?"

"They're not going to go a week without speaking. Relax. They're just saying hello."

Charlotte opened her mouth to protest, but Ethan walked away quickly, he was done dealing with his sister, for now.

XXXX

"You look very beautiful, tonight Bo." Lauren's eyes studied Bo up and down in one brief glance, lingering for a half second on her breasts.

Bo bit her bottom lip to keep from laughing. Lauren was never shy about ogling her in public, and some things never change. "You clean up nicely yourself."

Lauren ordered a glass of wine and took a seat next to Bo. "So, what have you been up to these past three years?"

"Oh, you know me, same old same old."

Lauren nodded. "Still taking cases? And running the Dal?"

"Yes. Are you still living in New York?"

"I am." She paused. "You never call me."

"You never call me," Bo replied.

"Hm. Well, I suppose…" Lauren started.

"Bo! There you are." Jasmine came rushing up to the pair. "Our room is so tiny! I thought you said your ex was loaded or something?"

Bo rolled her eyes, "Lauren this is Jasmine, my…"she paused, "Jasmine this is Lauren."

"Nice to meet you." Lauren offered her hand, which Jasmine accepted, "I can offer you a larger room if you like, I was not in charge of the room assignments, my assistant Gus…"

"The room's fine, Lauren," Bo said flatly.

"Oh, so this is the ex-wife?" Jasmine turned to Bo turning her back to Lauren, "Yum." She turned back to Lauren. "The room will do I guess." She said, exaggeratedly sweet.

"Are you sure? It's no trouble." Lauren asked.

"Mom!" Both Bo and Lauren looked to find Charlotte shouting from across the room, gesturing for Lauren to come over.

"The bride beckons." She offered Bo and Jasmine a bright smile. "Nice meeting you Jasmine. And Bo it was great to see you."

She walked off with her wine glass, and Bo watched her go.

Jasmine leaned on her elbow and watched Lauren go, as well. "Wow. I get it now."

"Get what?" Bo asked, still looking at Lauren.

"I can see why you're still hung up on her."

Bo turned to looked at her, "What? I'm not…"

Jasmine put her hands up, "Ok. Whatever you say. So I guess you won't mind if I-"

"You can't sleep with Lauren. She's off limits, don't even try it." Bo said, firmly.

Jasmine exhaled loudly, "Fine. Killjoy."

She flipped her hair and walked away, but Bo didn't watch her go.

XXXX

"We need to fire the wedding planner, mother." Charlotte pointed across the room, in the direction of the bar, "Look at that flower arrangement. That's not what I wanted at all! It's all wrong."

"It looks beautiful, really you need to calm down and enjoy this time. You'll end up missing all the special little moments while you're off worrying about the décor. That's not what you'll remember in 5 years."

"I don't need a reprimand. I need perfection."

Lauren took a long sip of her drink, "You'll learn, one day, your life's greatest memories will come from the messy times, from the imperfections."

Charlotte rolled her eyes, "Did you meet mom's girlfriend, Jasmine?"

Lauren snorted, "Yes."

"What'd you think of her? She's very pretty."

"That's Bo. She always surrounds herself with beautiful people."

"She seems really nice, don't you think?"

"I don't know her."

"Yea, but-"

Lauren interrupted Charlotte with a laugh, "Oh wow, this takes me back."

"What?"

"It's been years since someone has tried to taunt me about one of Bo's lovers. Charlotte, I'm not jealous, I'm not here for Bo. I'm here for you and your wedding."

Charlotte stared at Lauren for a long moment.

"We're also not firing the wedding planner, relax, and make it work. Unless, of course, you'd like to pay for all this." She moved her hands back and forth widely, gesturing to the large room.

"Fine," Charlotte muttered under her breath. "We won't fire her."

Charlotte looked back at the bar and caught Bo staring at Lauren from across the room. And so it begins, she thought bitterly. Looking back and forth between her parents.

XXXX

Lauren saw Bo sitting alone under the stars and walked up to her.

"Hey you."

"Oh, hey."

"Great night, huh?"

"Beautiful. You really went all out for this wedding you know."

"Too much?"

Bo tapped her fingers on the table. "You should have let me pay for some of it."

Lauren shook her head. "I have more than enough money."

"Still, I'm her mother too."

"I don't want to fight about money." Lauren let out a long drawn out sigh.

"I'm not arguing. I'm just talking."

Silence.

"You are seeing any one?" Bo asked.

"No. I haven't the time."

Bo laughed. "Ha, some things never change."

"What?"

"Lauren, you're a workaholic you know that."

"I'm trying to build a future for me and my children."

Bo groaned and put her head down on the table. "Ah. Five minutes and we're already fighting about money and work."

"I'm not fighting, just talking."

They grinned wide at each other.

"Why don't you sit down?"

"Thanks. But I should really get back to Charlotte. She might fire everyone if I'm not there to stop her."

Lauren started to leave. Bo grabbed her pulled her into a kiss.

They broke apart. "What was that for?" Lauren asked, somewhat out of breath from shock.

"You were my wife for 20 years, I'm just saying hello." Bo said smirking.

"I'm not sleeping with you, Bo."

"I didn't say you were," Bo replied through a laugh.

"I know that look." Lauren crossed her arms.

Bo shrugged and arched her eyebrow.

"Well, right, Charlotte is waiting…" Lauren trailed off.

Bo nodded and Lauren walked away.


	2. Chapter 2

"Awful, just awful. What are you doing?" Charlotte sneered as she snatched the name cards out of the small woman's hands.

The woman's expression embarrassed and confused, "I'm sorry, miss, what is the problem?"

Charlotte started walking around the table, "You can't have my parents next to each other! I told you that." She placed the name card with Bo's name on as far away from Lauren's as she could.

"Oh, I thought your parents-"

"Thought? No, you didn't think or wouldn't have-"

"Charlotte, leave that poor woman alone," Ethan had just walked in to find his sister on another tirade, attacking more staff. She was out of control.

Charlotte glared at the woman, "You can go now."

The small woman walked, almost ran, from the room.

Ethan tapped his fingers hard on the table, "You need to calm down. You're acting crazy. Stop giving everyone such a hard time."

Charlotte leaned closer to her brother, "I don't want them ruining my dinner. It's the first dinner of the week."

"You're the only one ruining anything. From what I've seen, they're getting along just fine."

"I don't want them to get along. I want them to stay away from each other. Why can't they stay away from each other?"

"I've-"

Charlotte interrupted her brother, "Like you haven't seen the looks, the smirks."

Ethan rubbed his eye, "It's not your responsibility to police their relationship."

"No, I gave you that job."

Ethan got up abruptly, walked from the room shaking his head. He knew he couldn't talk to her when she was in this state.

XXXXX

As Ethan was leaving the room, he saw Lauren walking up. "I wouldn't go in there if I were you. Your daughter's a lunatic. Did you know that?"

"Oh no, what's she done now? Did she fire someone?" Lauren asked, trying to look past Ethan and into the room.

He grabbed her hand leading her away, "Seriously, let it be. Don't bother, right now."

They sat down outside, enjoying the warm, dry air of the night.

"When we get back to the city, there's a new project I want you to start working on, Gus-"

"Ma, I don't want to talk about work, I'm on vacation." He scratched his head.

Lauren nodded, pushed the hair off his face, "I'm sorry, sweetie. It's hard to turn it off sometimes."

XXXX

Bo stood in front of the mirror. She'd changed her outfit four times, and nothing seemed to be working, at the moment.

She glanced into the mirror and caught a glimpse of Jasmine strolling up, smiling, naked.

Jasmine wrapped her arms around Bo and kissed her neck. "Let's have some fun before this dinner, hmm?"

Bo disentangled herself from the redhead. "I'm not in the mood."

Jasmine moved her hands up and down the side of her body. "Yeah, right. Since when is a succubus not in the mood for sex?"

Bo ignored her.

Jasmine took a seat in a chair, slowly starting eating a piece of fruit off the table. "I can wear a blonde wig if you'd like."

"You're not funny. Stop."

Jasmine laughed loudly, "Well if you won't give it to me, I'll find someone who will. Maybe Lauren. She seems-"

Bo was over to Jasmine in a flash. She grabbed her wrist. "I told you to leave Lauren alone."

They stared at each other. "I was kidding."

Bo pushed her wrist away. "Stay away from my wife. Please?"

"Why can't Lauren have some fun, huh?"

"I don't care who Lauren sleeps with, but I don't want her to have sex with you."

Jasmine threw a piece of fruit a piece of fruit at Bo, walked from the room, but first glanced back to Bo over her shoulder, "I think you meant your ex-wife? Little slip-up maybe?"

XXXXX

 _Flashback_

" _This one's face isn't very symmetrical." Lauren squinted, pushing the photo away._

 _Bo took Lauren's hand, "Lauren, we have to make some kind of choice soon."_

" _I know. But it's the biggest decision we'll ever make. I mean this Fae will be half the genetic make-up of our children. It's very important, we think it through."_

" _What about Dyson?"_

 _Lauren nudged her, and Bo laughed. "Dyson's family but I don't want him to be the father of my children."_

" _I was only joking." She kissed Lauren's cheek. "Whoever you want, it's fine with me."_

 _Lauren sat looking at the photos, "This one's ears look funny…"_

XXXXX

Bo walked into the dining room, to find Jasmine sitting next to Lauren, smiling and playing with her hair.

When Jasmine looked up to see Bo watching them, she batted her eyes, innocently, and offered an impish smirk.

Bo took her seat across the table next to Dyson and Ethan.

Lively chatter filled the room, and Bo glanced over as Jasmine laughed loudly at something Lauren had said.

After the first course, Charlotte stood up to say something. She stood smiling at the group.

"I wonder if we're all about to get a lecture," Ethan whispered, in a low voice to Bo. And Bo lightly patted his knee.

"Well, I wanted to thank everyone for coming." She paused waiting for them to clap, when they didn't she continued, "As you know, Jonathan and his family will be arriving tomorrow." She looked at Bo. "So, let's all try to be on our best behavior, hmm? And not embarrass me."

"Guess I should leave then," Jasmine said loudly, and pretended to get out of her chair.

Bo glared at her then her gaze fell upon the tiny black-haired girl, who just walked in.

Her heart sank.

"MacKenzie." She whispered to herself.

"Hi, guys." The girl said, waving to the group.

The whole table got up and rushed over to the girl, but Bo got there first and pulled the tiny girl into a tight hug.

Bo held the girl close to her body, rubbed her hair and tried to ignore the burning tears forming in her eyes.

XXXXX

MacKenzie and Bo stood alone away from the group. She looked so much like Kenzi that it almost killed Bo just looking at her.

"I start high school this year." The girl said excitedly. "I'm nervous, but mostly very excited."

"Wow, Mac, that's so great. When I look at you, I still see that little girl in piggy tails running around."

Mac smiled shyly at the ground. "Mom would have loved being here, you know, seeing Charlie get married. She would have been so happy."

Bo grabbed the girl's hand and squeezed.

"We all miss her so much. She'd be so proud of you."

Mac nodded.

"I'm sorry, I don't get to see you very often," Bo said, feeling crushed by shame for not being there for Mac more.

"No, it's ok. I know you're busy." Mac smiled at Bo, with Kenzi's smile, Bo's heart almost stopped.

"Maybe, you can come and spend the summer with me?"

Mac's face lit up, "That would be great Aunt Bo, really great."

XXXXX

Dyson and Bo both downed their third shot, together, slamming their shot glasses down.

Bo closed her eyes as the alcohol burned down her throat. "I hate that it's so hard to see her. I feel so ashamed. But she reminds me so much of Kenzi, it hurts to look at her, sometimes."

"I know what you mean. Even after all these years, the pain's still so fresh."

"We need to do more, see her more." Bo looked at Dyson with a pained expression.

He touched Bo's hand, "You're right, we should."

A silence settled over the table.

"Well, look who it is." Dyson gestured toward the door where Lauren entered.

Bo downed her fourth shot, her eyes not leaving Lauren.

"So, is it awkward being here with her?"

"No. Why would it?"

He cocked his head. "No reason, I guess." He looked back at Lauren. "Well, I'm calling it a night. Lots of activities coming up tomorrow." He walked over and kissed the top of Bo's head. "Goodnight."

When Dyson and Lauren crossed paths, Lauren reached out and pushed his arm. "Hey, don't run off because of me."

He shrugged. "I'm tired."

She gave him a sympathetic half-grin, "I knew it would be hard on you two having MacKenzie here."

He nodded. "I love that girl, but yeah it's hard, sometimes."

She squeezed his shoulder. "Get some sleep."

XXXXX

Lauren walked up behind Bo. "Can I sit down?"

Bo pulled out a chair for her and poured her a shot.

They tapped their shot glasses together and drank.

"So, how are you doing?" Lauren asked.

Bo played with the rim of her glass, not meeting Lauren's eyes.

"Why are you really not seeing anyone, Lauren?"

Lauren frowned. She didn't expect that to be where the conversation would go. "I told you, I'm very busy."

Bo crossed her arms and eyed at her.

"I'm not a prude Bo. I've had lovers, short term things."

Bo put her hand over her mouth to suppress a laugh.

"What?"

"One night stands, you mean?"

"I don't have time for a relationship, right now."

"Love em 'n Leave em Lewis, huh?"

Lauren took another shot.

"Ethan is doing very well at the lab," Lauren said to change the subject.

"You work him too hard."

"I do not," Lauren said, her tone with a slight edge.

"How many hours a day does he work?"

Lauren pinched the bridge of her nose.

"Charlotte appears to be unraveling. She seems extremely stressed about everything." Bo offered to again change the subject.

"Weddings are stressful. But yes I agree. We should talk to her."

They both sat in silence, watching the other people in the lounge.

"Seeing Mac just brings back so many things."

"I know." Lauren took Bo's hand, squeezed supportively.

"I miss Kenzi everyday."

"I know." Lauren began to stroke her finger over Bo's hand.

"I'm a terrible person. I keep a distance from her because it's too hard on me to be around her."

Lauren brought her hand up Bo's face, "No, you're not. It's not an easy situation."

"Still." A tear fell from Bo's eye and Lauren wiped it away with her thumb.

XXXX

Charlotte hurried into the lounge following the caterer. "I know it's late, but I had some changes to the menu."

"Miss Dennis, you gave me a new list a few hours ago."

"No, No these are new changes-" She stopped abruptly when she saw her parents together. "Just take the list." She shoved the paper into his hands. "I have to go find my brother."

She finally found him at the pool. "What are you doing?" She stood with her hands on her hips. "Did you agree to keep them apart or not?"

"I actually never agreed to do that." He said as he stepped out of the pool.

She threw a towel into his face. "They're in the lounge, right now, with their hands all over each other."

"Chill. Mac just got here; it's probably tough for them to see her."

Charlotte opened her mouth, and then changed her mind. "Oh, yeah. I guess with everything I didn't think about that."

"That's the problem. You're only thinking of yourself, lately." He whispered in her ear as he walked away.

XXXX

Lauren walked Bo back to her room. Bo was drunk, so Lauren let her lean on her to steady her.

Bo was giggling.

"What's so funny?"

They reached Bo's door. "I have no idea. But I can't stop laughing."

"Ok, then." Lauren untangled herself from Bo and put Bo's hand on the doorknob. "Well, there you go."

"You should come in for another drink." Bo took one of Lauren's finger in her hand and starting playing with it.

"That's not a good idea."

"Why not?"

Lauren stared at Bo.

Bo had another giggle fit. But stopped suddenly and her expression turned serious. She traced her finger down the collar of Lauren's shirt. "Just come in for a minute?"

Lauren held her breath for a half second. "It's not a good idea."

The door opened suddenly, and Jasmine stood standing arm in arm with a burly, half dressed man. "Bo, there you are. We started without you."

Bo eyes got wide and looked back and forth between them and Lauren.

Lauren pursed her lips to keep from laughing; she leaned into Bo, "Goodnight." she whispered softly into Bo's ear.

Bo's shoulders slumped, and she leaned back against the doorframe and watched as Lauren walked away.

* * *

 **AN:**

 **Thanks for reading!**

 **Don't worry about Dyson and Bo, they are close friends, but there is nothing romantic between them.**

 **I know many want to know why they divorced, but that will be revealed later, sorry.**

 **Also, sorry about killing Kenzi but it serves its purpose in the story.**


	3. Chapter 3

XXXXX

 _5 days until the wedding._

"It's about time, Misty, my hair, and makeup need to be done immediately. I don't want to be late." Charlotte said to the person who had just walked into the room. Her head was down reading.

When no one answered, "Misty?" she looked up, "What are you doing here?" She asked Bo, with her eyebrows raised. "I need to get ready. I don't have time for anything else."

Bo smiled and picked up a comb and started brushing Charlotte's hair. "You used to love for me to brush your hair for hours at a time when you were little, remember? You would sit in front of me while I played with your hair, for hours."

Charlotte looked down and ignored Bo's comment. "Where's Misty? I need to get ready. Today's schedule is jammed pack."

"I can do your hair for you. We need to talk." Bo continued combing Charlotte's long brown hair.

Charlotte opened her mouth, but quickly bit back her comment, "Well, it better look good." She looked down and to read. She knew Bo was persistent and it was easier to let her mother do her hair then get into a big row about it.

Bo lazily ran her fingers through her daughter's hair, "Why are you mad at me?" She tilted her head to the side, with a questioning and concerned look.

Charlotte glared at her through the mirror. "I'm not." She looked back down.

"Yes, you are." Bo responded as brushed Charlotte's hair back.

"Why do you let her get to you so much? Suck you back in." Her eyes darted to the door hoping Misty would appear to fix her hair properly.

"Who?" Bo asked, but she knew whom her daughter was referring to.

"She divorced you or have you forgotten?" She leaned far back in her chair. Now her eyes stayed on Bo through the mirror.

"I haven't."

"She divorced you then moved hundreds of miles away and took Ethan with her."

"Well, she did give Ethan a job. He wanted to go."

"That's not the point. She could have opened that lab anywhere, but she chose to move so far away."

Bo sighed deeply.

Charlotte turned around and looked up into Bo's eyes. "How many times does she need to break your heart before you get it?"

Bo stepped away for her, crossing her arms. "It's not that simple and you know it."

"All I know is I had to pick up the pieces, by myself, the last time, and I won't do it again. So think about that before you get back on the merry-go-round."

Bo walked over and squeezed Charlotte's shoulder. "I love you, do you know that?"

Charlotte said nothing.

Bo kissed her forehead and started to go.

"Send Misty in, would you?"

XXXXX

 _25 years earlier._

 _Lauren rested her head gently on Bo's belly singing softly to it while Bo played with her hair. "You're so cute," Bo said beaming._

" _It's important, they hear my voice. So they recognize it." She softly kissed the belly._

" _Have you decided where you want to live?"_

" _Somewhere with a big yard, so the twins have a lot of space to play and explore. That's important for growing children."_

" _Sounds perfect."_

 _Lauren sat up abruptly, smiling wide, "I almost forgot I got you this special lotion to rub on your stomach." She kissed Bo. "I'll be right back…."_

XXXX

Ethan slouched in a chair in Lauren's room. It had been thirty minutes, and she was still on the phone. They were going to be late.

He tapped on the top of his wrist, trying to signal to remind her about the time.

She nodded, distractedly, and mouthed, "I'm sorry".

He sighed. She wasn't even dressed yet, they were definitely going to be late and suffer the wrath of his sister.

Ten minutes later, "Sorry, sorry. That was an important call." She ran around the room, getting ready. With Jonathan arriving today, Ethan didn't want to get into any more arguments with his sister. He needed to hurry Lauren up.

"We're late and you're not ready." He said checking the time.

"Did you get that information I sent you about what we're working on?" She asked, as she quickly wrote something down.

He buried his head in his knees, "Vacation, ma. I'm on vacation."

"I know that. But since we're here together and we have some time. I thought we could discuss it." She started pulling an outfit out of the closet.

"I was thinking about taking some time off, actually." He said with his head still down, not meeting his mom's eyes.

She turned quickly from the closest, and she frowned. "What do you mean?"

"I've just been thinking that it would be nice to travel or something. See the world." He started rubbing his hands down his jeans. He didn't mean to start this discussion right now. It just slipped out.

She sat down next to him and took his hand. "I thought you wanted to take over from me someday? You were doing so well."

"I…did. And thanks and all, but," He paused and pulled his hand away. "I don't know." Again wishing that he hadn't brought this up.

"Well," she stood quickly, "Don't make any decisions right now. Wait until we get back to the city." She finally decided and on an outfit. "Don't make any rash decision until then."

"Ok, mom." He feigned a smile, "We are late, though." He said, wanting to change the subject.

"Go down without me." She started into the other room carrying her clothes, "I'll be down when I can." She said over her shoulder.

As he left the room, he heard the phone ring again.

XXXX

Everyone, excluding Lauren, gathered in the hotel lobby, waiting for Jonathan to arrive. His plane was coming in late, so they'd been there awhile waiting.

Ethan stood next to Charlotte, who was nervously checking the time, playing with her dress, watching the door. He put his arm around her to calm and reassure her. He knew she was excited to finally have Jon arrive. He was also happy about having someone else around to help deal with his sister.

Bo had her hands on Mac's shoulder, as she stood behind the girl. Bo had decided to spend as much time as possible with Mac while they were there. It still hurt being around her, but Bo was determined not to let that stop her.

Jasmine was flirting with Dyson, drinking champagne. She had been up all night partying, so for her the morning hour was still last night.

Lauren hastily rushed up the to group. Everyone turned and stared at her as she took her place next to Dyson.

The twins, in unison, glared at her.

"Sorry, sorry," she whispered to the group. Dyson put his arm around her, "It's ok, Doc. He's not here yet."

Suddenly, the door opened, and a barrel-chested, stocky Jonathan walked in, "Charlie!" He said in a booming voice, his arms spread wide.

Charlotte ran to him and grabbed her up in his arms, lifting her off the ground.

They kissed passionately, for a moment, for a long moment.

"He's kind of short?" Mac said to Bo in a low voice, Bo squeezed her shoulders, playfully. "I thought he'd be taller." Bo swallowed a laugh. "She's like a foot and a half taller than him."

Jonathan and Charlotte continued their passionate embrace. Mac covered her mouth to suppress a giggle.

Jonathan untangled himself from his fiancée and went to greet the group, shaking everyone's hand.

"Dr. Lewis," he bowed, kissed her hand, "Always lovely seeing you."

Lauren smiled bright, "Jonathan, happy to see you got here safe."

When he got to Bo, he took her into a big hug, wrapping his beefy arms around her. "Love this lady." He twirled her around. "I just love this lady."

"Thanks, Jon," Bo said through a laugh.

After his greetings, he wrapped his arm around Ethan's neck, tightly. "Let's eat!"

XXXX

Everyone sat around the table enjoying a lighthearted conversation. Jonathan's presence seemed to calm Charlotte, so the atmosphere was easy-going.

Charlotte was too distracted by Jonathan she didn't even notice that her parents were sitting next to each other.

"So, what are your plans for the day? I think everyone will have some time now that Charlotte is so relaxed." Lauren asked to Bo as she served herself some fruit from the serving dish.

Bo shrugged, "Dyson and I are taking Mac snorkeling."

"That's great, really great." Lauren's tone was cheerful, "That sounds like fun. It's nice to see you two spending time with her."

"Uh, huh," Bo said turning away from her.

Lauren sensed something was off with Bo, and she knew it was directed at her because Bo was engaged in friendly banter with everyone else around them.

After a tense silence between, Lauren took a chance to feel Bo's mood out, "Are you upset with me?"

"Nope. I'm not upset." Bo said without looking at Lauren.

"Oh, because you seem…I mean, I thought we were getting along."

"I'm not mad at you." Bo slightly raised her voice.

Lauren didn't try to talk to Bo for the remainder of the meal.

Ethan had been keeping an eye on his parents, watching their interaction. After he saw that they were avoiding speaking or looking at each other. He leaned into his sister. "Guess you got what you wanted."

"Meaning?"

He nodded in the direction of his parents, "They don't appear to be getting along anymore."

XXXX

By midday, Dyson, Bo and Mac walked back into the hotel talking excitedly about their experience in the water.

Lauren rounded the corner, shortly after, and went up to them.

"Lauren!" Mac ran and pulled Lauren into a hug. "You should have come with us. It was so much fun."

"Maybe next time," Lauren said looking at Bo, who avoided her eyes.

"Oh, I almost forgot my father and I discovered this great Italian restaurant downtown. You just have to come out with us when we get back."

"I sure will, kiddo," Lauren said, tucking a piece of hair behind her ear, tenderly.

"Why don't we go get changed," Dyson said pulling Mac along with him.

They left leaving Bo and Lauren standing awkwardly together.

"Guess I'll go change, as well."

Lauren lightly touched Bo's elbow, to get her attention. "Wait."

"What?" Bo asked shifting her weight away from Lauren.

"What's wrong?" Lauren asked as she heard Bo exhale deeply. She reached to touch Bo. She drew back, "Bo, why can't we be friends?"

Bo clenched her jaw. "I can't be just friends with you, Lauren."

"Why not?"

"You did not just ask me that."

Lauren started to go deciding that this conversation would led only to them arguing and that's not what she wanted.

"You left, Lauren. Up and went." Bo called out to Lauren her before she could go.

Lauren turned sharply back and stared at Bo, "I did what I thought was best."

"That's Lauren always making unilateral decisions about us and our relationship." Bo rolled her eyes and waved her hand dramatically into the air.

Lauren took a wide step away from Bo, "You're not being fair. You know that I tried…"

Bo put her hand up to stop her from continuing, "Don't." she shook her head, "Just don't."

Bo walked away, and Lauren watched her go.

XXXX

" _I think this place is perfect." Lauren's eyes were happily dancing around the large yard._

 _Bo put her arm around her waist, "You did good, Lauren. You found the perfect home."_

" _Did you see how large the babies' room is?"_

" _I did."_

" _The large kitchen?"_

 _Bo laughed, pulling Lauren closer into her body. "It's perfect."_

 _Bo kissed the top of Lauren's head, "I think we're going to be very happy here…"_

* * *

 **AN**

 **Thanks for reading! I love reading the comments, so thanks for taking the time to leave them.**

 **I will try to update as often as I can but my first priority is my other fic. But having said that updates shouldn't be too slow.**

 **Thanks again.**


	4. Chapter 4

XXXX

Bo was walking back to her room when she saw Ethan down the hall.

He smiled brightly at her, dimples that matched hers showing.

"Hey you," she poked a finger into his side as they crossed paths.

"So what's going on between you and mom?" He decided to be direct with what he wanted to know. "What happened? Things were going so well, from what I saw."

Bo ran her fingers through her hair, not really wanting to get into it. She was tired, she wanted to sleep and forget the day. "Nothing. We're just trying…" She trailed off, not sure what she was about to say. "I don't know, baby. Things are complicated between us."

"Let's go have a drink and talk." He pulled her along with him.

They sat in the bar. "No matter how old you get it still freaks me out a little seeing you drink alcohol."

He nodded, playfully and took a long drink of his beer.

"So…" Bo started, "Is your mom taking care of herself? Remembering to eat and sleep enough?"

He shrugged, taking another long drink. "There are good and bad times, I guess." He paused. "Sometimes it's hard to pull her back."

"Yeah I know." She lightly patted his hand. "I'm glad she has you. To take care of her."

Ethan shifted nervously and let his eyes wander away from hers, "She still wears her wedding ring, you know."

"What?" Bo's expression was shocked and sad.

"She says it's so people don't hit on her, but I'm not so sure that's the truth."

Bo's stomach knotted.

"I know she's sad, she acts fine, puts on a brave face, but I know she's hurting, even after all these years. She misses you."

Bo frowned and let her son continue, "She buries herself in work, you know. She's so driven to make the world a better place, to help people. She loses herself in the work, sometimes. I think she wants to get lost in it, that it's easier." He looked Bo in the eyes, "She needs you."

Bo closed her eyes tightly while taking her son's hand.

XXXX

 _23 years earlier, 7 years after 5.08_

 _Kenzi flopped down face first onto the couch as the twins pulled and tried to continue playing with her, "AHHH, how do you keep with those munchkins? It's exhausting."_

 _Bo laughed, pulling food from the stove. "It's fun. They're fun."_

 _Kenzi rolled over to face Bo, "Never thought I'd see the day, that my BoBo was a housewife."_

 _Bo threw a piece of bread at Kenzi. "It's just while they're little."_

" _Where is the Doc?" She asked as the twins climbed onto her lap and started playing with her hair._

 _Bo glanced at the time. "I think she's working late. She said there's something really important she's working on, right now."_

" _You did make some cute kids, Bo." She kissed each of their little cheeks before they shambled down and made their way to the toys._

" _What about you, Kenz? Any plans for babies?" Bo asked, washing off some dishes._

" _Well, I am seeing someone. Remember Nate…"_

XXXXX

"You're smoking now?" Lauren asked her daughter appalled when she found her on the baloney alone.

"I'm a succubus, it wouldn't kill me. I'll heal right up." She replied, inhaling the smoke deeply.

"Still it's disgusting," Lauren said waving the smoke away.

"We can't all be perfect." Charlotte responded in her harsh tone.

Lauren took a deep breath but regretted it when smoke from Charlotte's cigarette filled her lungs. "Is there something you want to discuss with me?" She coughed. "Because now would be a great time."

"No."

"I know you blame me-" Lauren started to say, keeping her tone as soft as she could.

Charlotte rolled her eyes and cut her mother off, "Of course I blame you. You left us."

Lauren inched closer to her daughter but kept a distance, "I asked you to come with me, in case you forgot."

"And what was I to do in New York? My whole life was in Toronto, my friends, Jon, everything. You were selfish. Leaving me to take care of mom on my own." She continued staring at the ocean not looking at Lauren.

"I didn't make that decision lightly." She paused trying her best to find the right words, "I struggled with it for a long time." She paused again. "I ran out of things to do, to try and help your mother." She sighed. "I thought it was the only way to give her a wake-up call about what she was doing." Her body shifted closer to Charlotte.

Charlotte remained silent.

"We couldn't continue the way we were going, something had to change."

Charlotte blew smoke into the air and stayed quiet.

Lauren continued, "I'm not perfect. I've made many mistakes in my life. But, at that time, I thought it was my only option left."

Lauren tried to place her hand on her daughter's shoulder, but she flinched away. "I'm starting to see that maybe it was a mistake to leave, that I should have stayed."

"You just thought she'd chase after you."

"No. I thought if she lost everything she'd finally realize what she was doing to herself-to us."

When Charlotte said nothing in response, Lauren turned to go. "Get some rest, sweetie."

XXXX

Bo stood running her hands up and down the doorframe, nervously, as she waited for Lauren to answer, it was late but she couldn't sleep. She needed to see her after talking with Ethan.

She didn't want to fight with Lauren, they needed to get along, it was important.

But Lauren didn't seem to be answering. She was probably asleep. So, Bo decided to try again in the morning.

But before she could go, Lauren finally answered.

Lauren stiffened slightly upon seeing Bo. It was late, and she didn't want to get into anything right now, argue. "Bo? What's wrong?"

Bo's eyes veered around the hallway. She was feeling, somewhat, self-conscious about meeting Lauren's eyes. "I'm sorry about before," she paused and finally decided to meet Lauren's eyes. "Do you mind if I come in?"

Lauren hesitated, briefly, then, opened the door wide enough for Bo to enter.

"Wow, this room is really great, big." Bo said as she glanced around the large room.

Lauren took a seat on the other side of the room, crossing her legs. "I told you I could get you a larger room if you wanted."

Bo gave her a half grin, her expression apologetic, "That's not what I meant. I didn't come here to fight."

Lauren crossed her arms. "Ok. Then, why are you here?"

"I..." She moved closer to Lauren, taking a seat next to her, "wanted to say I was sorry about before."

Lauren continued looking at her as if she was searching her eyes for something.

"I don't want us to fight." She said in a low gentle voice, "And maybe we could try being friends."

Lauren smiled but didn't say anything for a few seconds, after she took a moment to consider, she said. "Ok." She walked over to the bar and pulled out a bottle of wine.

 _XXXX_

 _Lauren rushed into the house, her eyes bright, and a huge smile on her face. "Bo?" She called out._

 _No answer._

 _She hurried around the house looking for her wife. She had exciting news, she'd finally done it, figured it out. Now she needed to tell Bo._

 _She stepped off the back porch into the back yard to see Bo and the twins playing in the sand box._

 _She stood for a moment, watching._

 _Her heart filled with so much happiness watching as they laughed and Bo helped them build a sand castle._

 _She'd tell Bo her news later, right now she just wanted to watch her kids playing happily with her wife…_

XXXX

After their second glass of wine, they sat shoulder to shoulder on the couch, having just finished reminiscing about the past.

Lauren's phone rang stopping them mid sentence in their conversation. Bo raised her eyebrows. "Do you need to get that?"

Lauren, hesitated for a second, then turned it off. "It can wait."

"You work too much." Bo said pouring another glass of wine.

Lauren crossed her arms and leaned back.

Bo nudged her foot. "I'm serious, you need to relax once in awhile."

"I do! What has Ethan been telling you?"

Bo shrugged. "I just know you."

"I do yoga."

Bo laughed. She stood up and walked around the couch, standing behind her. She brushed the hair off Lauren's neck, slowly, and started rubbing her neck and shoulders.

"Hmm. I don't think it's working. You're all knotted up back here."

Lauren leaned her head back, so she could look at Bo. "Bo."

"Yes."

"That feels really good, don't stop."

Bo laughed and squeezed her muscles harder. "Then, close your eyes and relax."

 _XXXX_

 _Bo eased down next to her wife in bed. "The twins are finally asleep. Let's see how long it stays that way."_

 _Lauren softly kissed Bo. "You take such good care of them."_

 _Bo took Lauren's hand and started playing with her fingers._

" _Bo, I wanted to talk to you about something."_

 _Bo sat up straight. "Ok. What is it?"_

 _Lauren handed Bo a folder, and she started looking through it, "Babe, I have no idea what any of this means."_

 _Lauren laughed. "Well, that project I've been working on, at the lab."_

" _Yeah."_

" _I've finally figured it out. I was able to isolate the genetic markers in Fae DNA that contribute to their longer lives." She pointed to something in the folder, which looked like nonsense to Bo, "And synthesize that into a serum that will slow down human aging." She smiled wide at Bo._

" _Lauren what does that mean?"_

 _She grabbed Bo's hand. "That means with this serum. I'll be able it live longer, gain a hundred or a few hundred years on my life."_

 _Bo frowned. "Lauren, I don't want you to change who you are for me."_

" _I'll still be me, but with more time." She kissed Bo's hand._

 _Bo didn't say anything and Lauren continued. "Bo, after everything. After Hale, Trick, Tamsin, and even Vex, there's been too much loss in this family." She pulled Bo close. "I want to be able to be there for my family, for my children for many years." She gestured to a picture of the four of them. "And with more years, I'll be able to do some good, in the world. I'll be able to help people with my unique knowledge human and Fae biology. I think I could really help a lot of people…"_

* * *

 **AN**

 **Hi there,**

 **The reasons for the divorce are complicated. I would say it was neither of their faults really. In the end, the why will not be as important as the fact that they still love (and never stopped loving) each other.**

 **A lot needs to be revealed to show how they got there, because to me it would take a lot for Lauren to decide to leave, and she wouldn't do it without thinking there were no other options.**

 **To answer some questions:**

 **1\. Mackenzie's father is Nate (as Hale is dead). She lives in New York like Lauren/Ethan.**

 **2\. Dyson's wife is, I hate to say, not important to the story and will only show up on the wedding day.**

 **3\. Ethan/Charlotte both look like Bo, their father was a donor and doesn't matter, Lauren/Bo are their parents.**

 **4\. So, Lauren is not Fae, she created a serum (because she's scary smart) to expand her life. Hope that was clearly explained.**

 **Thanks for reading!**


	5. Chapter 5

XXXX

Bo awoke to the smell of Lauren, which was confusing, at first because it had been years since she'd woken up to that smell. She sat up, momentarily, confused and looked around.

She had been sleeping on the couch, in Lauren's room, and now everything came back to her.

She rubbed her eyes to trying to wake herself more when Lauren stepped into the room.

"Good morning," Lauren said as she started for the coffee, "Would you like some?"

Bo nodded, dramatically, and stretched her arms high into the air. "Sorry for falling asleep on your couch, not sure when that happened."

Lauren walked over and handed her a cup of coffee, made exactly how Bo liked it.

When she handed her the cup, their fingers made contact, briefly. They paused and studied each other. "It's not a problem, really," Lauren whispered and then made her way to the other side of the room.

Lauren was reading over some papers. "I've already taken a shower."

"Sorry, I missed that." Bo grinned while blowing on her coffee.

"HaHa. You're welcome to take one here if you'd like."

 _XXXX_

 _15 years earlier._

 _Bo had the little baby draped over her shoulder, as the baby slept peacefully._

 _Bo touched the soft fuzzy hair, and inhaled the baby smell. "I can't believe you have a baby." She said as quietly as she could to Kenzi, who was resting on the bed._

" _Can you believe?" Kenzi said, as equally quiet._

 _Bo shook her head._

" _It's like we're real adults now. Never thought I'd see the day." Bo said still stroking the baby's head._

" _I know it was like yesterday that we were getting drunk in the clubhouse, and now here we are..."_

XXXX

"Hey! Hey!" Charlotte was chasing two small children, who were play fighting, around. "Where's your mother?" She barked. She looked around, side to side and noticed Mac waiting by the elevator. She pointed at the small children. "Go find your mother," and walked off toward Mac.

Mac glanced up and saw Charlotte making her way over, "Charlie, great wedding so far."

"Thanks, kid." She said as wrapped her arm around the small girl. "Where are you headed?" She motioned toward the elevator.

"Oh, I was going up to Lauren's room. There's this really neat website about endangered species in the rainforest, that I wanted to show her." She beamed. "I think she'll find it fascinating."

"I'm sure she will." She smiled back at her. "I'll go up with you. I need to talk to my mother, also."

XXXX

"Thanks, but I should really get back to my room."

Lauren nodded. "Of course." She moved away from her papers. "I'll walk you out."

They stood by the door both waiting for the other to say or do something first.

Finally, Bo gave in. "Thanks for last night." She grinned at her feet. "And I did mean it. I think we should try to be friends." Her eyes scanned up Lauren's body, finally, pausing at her eyes.

Lauren swallowed hard. "I would really like that."

They both, subconsciously, inched closer to each other.

"Lauren," Bo said in a low voice.

"Yes."

"I think you…" She moved her fingers up to Lauren's shirt, lightly touching it. "Spilled some coffee on your shirt."

Lauren moved her hand up to take Bo's hands. "Thanks." She whispered her eyes locked on Bo's eyes. "Sometimes I can be clumsy."

"I remember," Bo said, not taking her hand away.

They inched closer, lips a breath away for each other.

At the same time the door opened Charlotte, letting herself in, with Mac following behind her.

XXXX

Ethan was lying tangled up with Gus in bed. He was ignoring his alarm. He didn't want to get up.

Gus finally nudged him to wake up.

Ethan stretched and made his way right for the coffee.

Gus spread out across the bed. "So, have you talked with Lauren, yet?"

Ethan ignored him. They had this argument every day.

"Hello?" Gus sat up.

"Not yet."

Gus rolled his eyes. "I thought you said you would."

"There wasn't been a good time."

Gus got to his feet, walking naked toward the bathroom. "There's never a good time."

He slammed the door of the bathroom.

Ethan continued making his coffee and checked the time.

XXXX

"What's going on here?" Charlotte's voice high, glaring at her parents.

Bo and Lauren moved apart.

Mac looked up at Charlotte confused, then at Bo and Lauren.

"I was just leaving," Bo said. "Bye, Lauren." She gave her a small smirk. "Try knocking next time." She said to Charlotte as she passed her leaving the room.

After Bo had left, Charlotte fixed Lauren with a narrowed gaze, shooting daggers at her with her eyes. "Unbelievable. You two are unbelievable. One day, it only took one day."

Lauren put her hand on Mac's shoulder and squeezed.

Charlotte flipped her hair, shook her head and briskly walked from the room.

Lauren and Mac stood, alone, together. "That was weird," Mac said, bewildered, taking a seat on the couch.

Lauren let out a short laugh. "What brings you by?" Lauren took a seat next to Mac.

"I wanted to show you this website I found and also," Mac paused and played with her jeans, nervously. "I um…wanted to thank you for paying for my private school."

Lauren took her hand. "That was no trouble at all. I hope you enjoy going there."

Mac smiled at her, eyes dancing. "I think I will. I'm really excited."

"I'm glad."

"Ok. Let me show you what I found." She took out her phone and pulled up the website.

XXXX

Gus stood stiff watching Ethan. "Well, when then?"

Ethan closed his eyes and sighed deeply. "Soon."

"You're an adult. How long are you going to have to take care of your mother?"

"It's not that simple." Ethan rubbed his hands over his face.

"Have you at least told her about us?"

Ethan looked at him. "Not yet."

Gus threw his hands in the air. "Why not? She likes me. What's the problem?"

"I need to get ready. The family will be downstairs soon. I don't want to be late."

Gus huffed.

XXXX

"Walk of shame, huh?" Jasmine asked Bo when she entered their room. "Were you with the wife?"

"I need to get ready." Bo moved to get a clean outfit.

"Are you going to spend any time with me?"

Bo shrugged. "You can leave if you want."

"Oh, honey. Why leave when it's so much more fun to stay."

Bo ignored her.

"I would like to get to know Lauren more. She seems so interesting." She stared at the back of Bo's head, waiting for a reaction. "I'm dying to know what it is about her that could tame the succubus."

Bo was trying to keep her temper under control, and not take the bait. She stayed quiet.

"I mean I get the great body, the great hair." She rubbed her hands through her hair. "But she must be dynamite in bed. That's for sure."

Bo turned quickly and got into her personal space, stared her down but didn't say a word.

XXXX

The family assembled outside waiting for Charlotte and their instructions.

"Good morning, everyone," Jonathan said in his booming voice. "I think Charlie has designed a fun little Scavenger Hunt for us all to do." He smiled broadly at the group.

"Yes. Correct." She studied her chart. "Let's try to have some fun. And no funny business." She glared at Bo, who was looking at Lauren. "Groups. Dyson and Mac, group one." She handed them their paper.

Dyson picked Mac up and put her on his shoulder. "Perfect. No way we can lose."

Charlotte walked over to Bo. "You're with your girlfriend, Jasmine." She shoved the paper at Bo.

"Great, team smoking hot. We should get t-shirts." Jasmine said loudly, putting her hand on Bo's waist, who shifted to the side, away.

Charlotte settled next close to Ethan. "Ethan you're with her." She pointed at Lauren, who had just answered a phone call and was talking quietly. "Maybe take the phone away."

Ethan sighed and tapped Lauren on the shoulder and gestured for her to give him her phone. She smiled embarrassed and handed him the phone.

"I'm with Jon, of course."

"Let's have some fun!" Jon shouted throwing his beefy arm in the air.

XXXX

Each of the teams moved off in different directions to start the game.

Dyson carried Mac along, while she couldn't stop laughing, and ran off toward the first clue.

Lauren was diligently scanning over the sheet, deciding where they should start. Ethan was strolling through her phone, "Ma, you have like twenty missed calls already."

Lauren bounced her eyes from him to her phone, quickly. "Really? Maybe you should hand it over."

He moved the phone away from her reach and shook his head.

Bo and Jasmine walked slowly. Neither interested in playing the game. Bo just wanted it to be over. They were walking several feet behind Lauren and Ethan.

"She's has a great ass." Jasmine licked her lips. "Not as good as yours, of course." She patted Bo's shoulder. "But it's not too big, not too small."

Bo stopped walking.

Jasmine put her hand on her chest in mocked innocence. "I'm just appreciating a beautiful woman."

"What's your problem?" Bo's temper was flaring, now. She was tired of Jasmine.

"I'm only saying if it looks that good in jeans, just imagine..."

Bo kicked dirt at her and walked up to Lauren and Ethan quickly.

When she reached them, Lauren was reading a clue. "No cheating Bo."

Bo laughed. "I'm not here to cheat. I want to join your team."

Lauren pulled her sheet into her chest and eyed Bo suspiciously. "How can we be sure you're not here as a spy?" Lauren teased.

Bo put her hand up. "I promise. I'm just wanted to join your team."

Ethan shook head. "Great. Now we'll have to deal with hurricane Charlotte." He handed Bo Lauren's phone. "I'll join Jasmine's team."

"Good luck."

A few seconds after Ethan left, "I think we should go this way." Lauren started walking off in that direction.

Bo lightly touched her shoulder to get her attention. They looked at each other. "What? A different direction?"

Bo smirked, "No, I wanted to talk about what happened this morning. I mean we almost…"

Lauren cut her off, "Oh, that. Don't worry about it." She smiled and held the paper, in her hand, tight.

Before Lauren could walk away, "Hmm. Ok." Bo stepped closer, put her hands on Lauren's hips, gently pulled her closer and kissed her.

 _XXXX_

 _14 years earlier._

 _The twins were passing Mac around while the adults were sitting around the table, talking lively._

 _Kenzi was chatting with Mark, pouring a drink; Lauren's attention was on Kenzi's hand as she noticed a slight tremble when she poured._

 _After dinner was over, Kenzi and Lauren were alone in the kitchen, cleaning up._

 _Lauren noticed the quiver again._

" _Kenzi how long has your hand been doing that?"_

" _What?"_

" _That shaking."_

 _Kenzi glanced down at her hands. "Oh, that it's nothing. I stopped drinking, so…"_

" _Maybe you should come by the clinic for a check-up."_

 _Kenzi shook her head, "No thanks, Doc. I don't need all your mad scientist tools all over me."_

 _Lauren gave her a concerned look, "Kenzi, please?"_

" _Seriously, it's nothing." Kenzi walked out of the kitchen..._

 **AN**

 **Greetings and salutations-**

 **Some questions:**

 **1\. As Bo's feeding has already been addressed in canon, I'm sticking with that. Bo will always have to feed, and Lauren is fine with it. (Bo's heart is always with Lauren, even when her body isn't and all that.)**

 **2\. They chose to have their kids be Fae because I don't think Lauren would want to cause Bo the pain of losing her kids after a shorter human life.**

 **In reference to someone's comment: I'm not sure how Bo could have impregnated Lauren, as she's a female. I've never heard that succubi females could do that. Interesting to learn that's a thing. But, anyways, in this story I don't see Lauren having any problem with the twins not being her biological children, they're her children no matter what.**

 **Thanks again for reading. Next update will be a little longer wait.**


	6. Chapter 6

XXXX

After the game was over Bo and Lauren walked up, joining the group. They stood close to each other, trying to hide their matching smirks.

Charlotte eyed them, knowing something had happened. "Well, as some of you appear to have given up on the game, Dyson and Mac are the winners."

Dyson kissed Mac's cheek, "Knew we could do it, kid."

"Yes, very good." Charlotte continued looking at her parents. "Dinner is at 7. Don't be late."

"So what's next? I need a drink." Jasmine asked, walking up in between Bo and Lauren. "Or a good lay." She gave Lauren a side look.

Mac peered up at Dyson. "Gross."

He laughed.

"I think we could all use a drink." Ethan ran his fingers through his hair and hurried off.

Everyone went to change and clean up, leaving Bo and Lauren alone.

They both paused, not knowing what to say.

Bo felt Lauren's phone vibrating and reached down to get it. "Oh, I have your phone." She handed to Lauren.

"Thanks." Lauren took the phone, not able to resist looking through the missed calls.

"So." Bo started. "Is it ok if I come to your room later?"

Lauren was briefly distracted by her phone but looked up to meet Bo's eyes.

They studied each other, for a second.

"Oh, sure." Her voice shook, slightly, at the end.

"Great." Bo smiled broadly.

Lauren started off. Bo grabbed her again, pulling her into a passionate kiss.

They stood there, lips, tongues, and hands exploring each other for several minutes.

XXXX

 _Soft and loud moans, kissing sounds filled the room, as Bo and Lauren were taking advantage of their children being gone._

 _They pulled apart, dripping in sweat, breathless._

 _Bo inched closer to her wife, placing gentle kisses on her back, as Lauren lay on her stomach._

 _Bo was contemplating how long until she could initiate another go when Lauren looked at her. Her expression was serious._

" _Have you talked to Kenzi?"_

 _Bo stroked Lauren's back, finally settling on the small of her back._

" _She says it's nothing."_

 _Bo moved her hand lower._

" _Please talk to her…"_

XXXXX

Mac and Dyson were enjoying a burger at a table outside.

Mac smiled sleepily at Dyson. "Is Mark coming?"

"I think so." Dyson answered through a mouth full of food.

"Great." She began playing with her napkin.

Dyson looked at her. "Don't tell me you have a crush on Mark?"

Mac's cheeks reddened. "No." She dropped her gaze.

"You're too young for boys." He wiped ketchup off his beard. "Trust me. There will be time for that later."

Mac was embarrassed and wanted to change to subject. "Bo said I could spend the summer with her. I'm happy. I miss you guys."

Dyson squeezed her hand. "We miss you too."

XXXXX

By the evening hours, Bo sat in Lauren's room while Lauren got ready for their family dinner.

Her eyes fell on a pile of papers, she didn't want to snoop, but she was curious, so she casually flipped through the papers. For what she got, it was plans for a new lab opening in Paris. She frowned and kept looking.

"What about this?" Lauren asked, showing Bo the dress she was wearing. Bo slid back away from the papers.

Bo grinned, scanning her body, "Yes. I think that will work." Her tongue darted out quickly wetting her lips.

"Are you moving to Paris?" Bo asked gesturing to the papers. No need to act like she hadn't seen them, they were just sitting out, after all.

"Oh, that" Lauren turned to the mirror and tried to zip her dress from the back. "That's new. Something I started putting together for Ethan."

Relief flooded Bo. She hated the idea of Lauren moving even further away.

"Why Ethan?" Bo got up and stepped closer to Lauren.

"Well, he mentioned, recently, wanting to travel and I thought this might be a good compromise."

"That's very sweet." Bo finally reached Lauren and started zipping up her dress, her fingers lightly brushing Lauren's back as they ascended.

Lauren slowly turned her head over her shoulder. "Thanks."

Bo kissed her other shoulder. "Normally, I like taking dresses off you, though."

Lauren kept firm eye contact on Bo as she turned around, the front of their bodies touching. Lauren placed her hand on the side of Bo's face. They leaned in, at the same time and kissed.

They only broke apart when they heard rapid knocking on the door.

"Sorry." Lauren said in a low voice.

Bo rubbed the back of her neck, thinking she needed to find a different place to be alone with Lauren.

"Gus?" Lauren let him in.

"Lauren, we have a problem back home."

Lauren glanced at Bo, looking apologetic. "I need to take care of this."

Bo quickly nodded her head. "I understand."

XXXX

 _Lauren to Kenzi: Come to the clinic today. My schedule's free._

 _Kenzi: Let it go._

 _Lauren: One blood sample, I promise._

 _No answer._

 _Lauren: I can come to you._

 _No answer._

 _Lauren: Kenzi…._

XXXX

Charlotte sighed deeply, "I have nothing to wear." She rummaged through the giant pile of clothes on the bed.

Jon sat in front of the television playing a video game. "You brought your whole closet, not sure how that's true."

She flopped down onto the clothes. "I think I'll have to buy something new."

Jon ignored her and continued playing the game.

"Nothing is going to plan. My parents can't stay away from each other. The wedding planner is a psycho. She never does anything I ask."

"Everyone's having a great time, don't worry."

"And me? Aren't I the one who matters most here? It's my wedding!" She screeched out.

Jon kept playing. "Don't worry. Relax."

She got up quickly, "I wish people would stop telling me to relax! I am relaxed. It's everyone else that's making me miserable."

Jon finally got up. He pulled her into a hug and let her continue getting out her grievances.

XXXX

 _Lauren to Kenzi: How are you feeling?_

 _Kenzi: Fine._

 _Lauren: Did Bo talk to you?_

 _Kenzi: Yes._

 _Lauren: Will you come in for a check-up?_

 _Kenzi: No._

 _Lauren: Please?_

 _No answer._

 _Hours later, Kenzi: I'll come in, sometime next week._

 _Lauren: Perfect. Thank You._

XXXX

Bo and Ethan walked side by side to the dinner hall, passing Jasmine, who was asleep on a chair.

"Should I wake her?" Ethan offered.

Bo glared at her. "Let her sleep it off. It's probably for the best."

Lauren was bent over a table, on the phone, writing something down quickly. Dyson walked up behind her.

"Dinner, Doc?" He asked trying to get her attention.

She nodded and ended her call.

"Work follows you everywhere, huh?"

"Indeed." She put her phone on silence and walked with him. "A lot is going on at the moment."

Charlotte noticed the wedding planner walking by and ran off to catch her. "Hey you." She shouted. "Come here."

Everyone settled around the table, Bo sitting next to Lauren. "Is everything ok?"

Lauren poured herself some wine. "Yes and no. It's complicated."

"Anything I can do to help?"

Lauren shook her head and checked her phone.

As the second course was being served, Bo took a chance and put her hand on Lauren's exposed knee. Lauren jumped, a little, from surprise but didn't push the hand away.

"That woman is so tacky."

"Who Jasmine?" Mac asked.

"No, I like Jasmine. That wedding planner, she has no taste. Dreadful."

Bo slowly slid her hand up Lauren's leg. Lauren coughed. The table looked at her. "Sorry." She said as she took a sip of her wine.

"Ethan don't you think that wedding planner…"

"Why don't you use her name, geez. It's disrespectful."

"I've forgotten her name." Charlotte said as she brushed a hair off her face, dramatically.

Bo's finger traced over Lauren's thigh moving into the inside of her leg.

Lauren sat up straight. Bo smirked at her plate.

"Mac, what do you want to do after school." Ethan asked desperate move the conversation away from the wedding planner.

"Oh, something with animals."

Lauren laughed. The table again looked at her.

"What's going on over there?" Charlotte demanded.

"Oh, I was just tickling…" Bo started to say.

"Bo. Please." Lauren cut her off giving her a look of shock.

"What?" Bo grinned.

"Unbelievable. You two." She pointed at her parents then huffed and left the table.

"I'll go get her." Jon got up. "But I was really looking forward to dessert."

Gus entered the room, glaring at Ethan. They had an argument early, Ethan ignored him and ate his dessert.

Gus stood behind Lauren and whispered into her ear.

"Really? Ok. I'll be right there." Lauren said quietly to him.

She made her apologies and left the table.

XXXXX

 _12 years earlier._

 _Dyson stood grilling food his new girlfriend at his side._

" _Charlotte do you want a hot dog?" He asked._

" _Yuck, no. Just veggies for me." She pulled out her dress widely, "Do you like my new dress?" She asked Dyson's girlfriend._

 _Ethan slowly walked up behind her then dumped water on her back, running away, quickly._

" _Ethan! You monster." She shrieked chasing after him. "Mom!"_

" _So you're coming by tomorrow, right?" Lauren asked as she sat next to Kenzi, her eyes briefly glancing at the twins as they ran by quickly._

 _Kenzi rubbed her temples._

" _What's wrong?" Lauren moved closer._

" _It's just a headache. Everyone gets them." Kenzi responded, flatly._

 _Kenzi walked off joining Bo, who was playing with Mac on the swing._

" _Your wife is driving me crazy." She said to Bo while looking at Lauren, who was watching them from a distance._

 _Bo laughed, pushing Mac into the air. "She means well. She's worried."_

" _She acts like no one gets headaches."_

" _She's a doctor. Maybe trust her."_

 _Kenzi smiled at Mac reached out and held her chubby finger._

" _You are going in, right? Soon?"_

 _Kenzi nodded then wobbled, feeling dizzy. Bo quickly reached out to steady her. "Are you ok?"_

" _I'm fi-" She started, then collapsed into Bo's arms…_

XXXX

Gus was walking briskly out of Lauren's room when Bo got there. "Something wrong?" She asked.

He shrugged and continued on.

Bo lightly knocked on the opened door, peeking inside "Can I come in?"

Lauren was on the phone, and didn't hear her. So, she let herself in.

Lauren's head was tilted back, her eyes closed, listening to the caller on the other end.

Bo watched her.

Lauren began tapping her feet, hard. She sighed and brought her head back and saw Bo watching her. Her eyes were wide in surprise.

"I have to go." She said to the caller. "How long have you been here?"

"Sorry. You didn't hear me knock, so I let myself in."

"No. It's fine."

Bo held their gaze and walked up to her. Lauren swallowed hard as Bo got closer.

Lauren's phone rang. They both looked at it, for a long minute.

Finally, Lauren tossed it to the side.

They crashed into each other, kissing fiercely, ripping each other's clothes off, quickly.

Lauren pulled Bo into the bedroom.


	7. Chapter 7

**AN**

 **I changed the rating to M, as I'm not sure how far things can be pushed in a T rating. So, I did it just to be safe.**

 **Thanks for reading, enjoy!**

* * *

When the middle of the night came, Bo was lost in the pleasure Lauren was giving her. Her eyes were closed, tightly, her body arched. Her hand lay loosely on the top Lauren's head, her fingers tangle in the blonde hair.

Her eyes fluttered opened quickly, her fingers tighten around Lauren's hair, as a particular intense vibration coursed through her.

After what felt like both forever and an instant, Lauren kissed her way back up Bo's body. Placing slow wet kisses on her the inside of her thighs, up her stomach, the valley between her breasts until finally she met Bo's mouth.

Bo pulled her tight against her, their sweaty, warm bodies meeting hard. Lauren rested on top of Bo, as they kissed, deep, long. Bo didn't want to stop. She just loved kissing Lauren, she could do it hours.

Finally, Lauren eased back, but Bo pushed into another kiss. She wasn't done.

Her hands traveled up and down Lauren's back. Bo finally let her go, and they gazed each other with identical grins.

Lauren relaxed her head on Bo's chest, her heart beating fast and hard against Bo's skin.

Bo suddenly flipped their position, hovering over Lauren. They stared at each other with such intensity.

Bo moved her hands down the length of Lauren's body. When she entered her, Lauren's head fell back, lips parted, her breathing escaping in sharp gasps. Lauren arched her body against Bo's touches. Bo bit her lip watching as Lauren came undone under her thrusts. Bo knew with pure instinct when to push and when pull back with Lauren. She could read Lauren's wants based on her breathing, based on her expressions. Watching her face tense and relax worked as cues for Bo to push hard or soft. Slow, fast, more, less.

They continued this back and forth throughout the night. And the sounds, smells of sex filled the room the entire night.

After both were exhausted, they drifted off to sleep bodies linked together.

 _XXXX_

 _12 year earlier._

" _What's wrong with her, Lauren?"_

" _I'm running tests, I'll hopefully know something soon."_

" _Is she dying?"_

" _Like I said I need to run tests…"_

XXXX

Bo surveyed Lauren as she climbed out of the bed, nude. Her eyes were examining her body up and down. She bit the inside of her cheek fighting the desire to pull her back into the bed.

Lauren wrapped a robe around her body, and Bo cursed whoever invented such a thing.

"Last night was really great," Bo said sitting up, not bothering to cover her naked body.

"It was." Lauren came back to the bed and kissed Bo with a quick peck.

Bo tightened her lips together, almost savoring the kiss after Lauren pulled back.

Bo stretched her arms into the air, feeling more relaxed than she had in a long time.

"Do you want to get breakfast or something?"

Lauren canvassed her clothes deciding on an outfit. "I can't, I'm sorry. I need to have a quick meeting with Gus before today's scheduled events."

"Oh," Bo replied feeling disappointed. She didn't want this afterglow bless to end so quickly.

"Feel free to stay as long as you like." Lauren hurried out of the room to the shower.

Bo sighed, happily, falling back on the bed.

XXXX

In the late morning hours, Bo finally left Lauren's room and was surprised to run into Jasmine, who looked like she hadn't gone to bed, yet.

Jasmine stopped when she saw Bo and put her hands on her hips. "Really?" She gestured to Lauren's room. "Why didn't you come and get me?" She shook her head. "I would have very much liked to have joined that party."

Bo rolled her eyes and walked passed her.

"Bo!" Jasmine called after her. Bo didn't turn around. "Please, call me next time. So, I can join or at least watch."

Bo ignored her.

"Bo, please!" She walked quickly behind Bo, joining her side. "Think about how amazing it would be, the three of us together. I know your succubus is just purring at the thought."

Bo frowned and increased her pace.

"Bo!" Jasmine yelled loudly as Bo rounded a corner.

 _XXXX_

 _12 years earlier._

 _The whole family sat around Kenzi's bed, Kenzi sitting up eating Jell-O. "This is awful, it's like I'm being punished for being sick or something."_

 _Bo stood by her wife, "So, what's wrong with her?"_

 _Everyone stared at Lauren._

" _I don't know," Lauren answered her tone somber. She rubbed her hands over her face._

" _Guess it's good news then." Kenzi tried to joke, but no one laughed._

" _Lauren, how can you not know what's wrong?" Bo asked her tone with a slightly edge._

" _I've run every test I could think of, whatever she has-"_

" _Could it be Fae related? Like a cursed or something?" Dyson interrupted, his voice shaking._

 _Lauren shook her head. "No. It's definitely a human disease but," She sighed. She looked way past exhausted, dark circles under her eyes, her expression distant and dark. "I'm not coming up with a diagnoses. I'll keep running tests…"_

XXXX

Charlotte and Bo walked along the beach together. Bo wanting to talk to her again, and Charlotte just happy to be away from everyone else for a while.

"Are you excited about the upcoming ceremony?" Bo asked, trying for a lighter subject to start the conversation.

"Why are you so happy, lately," Charlotte asked fixing a glare on Bo. "You're like a giddy little school girl."

"What do you mean?" Bo was being flippant. She knew what Charlotte meant.

"Are you two…you know…" Charlotte stuck out her tongue, her face wrinkled. "Doing it?"

Bo laughed, for a succubus her daughter could be prudish sometimes.

"Do you really want to know that?"

"Urgh. Of course you are." Charlotte walked briskly along, leaving Bo in her wake. "You two are ridiculous!"

"Why do you care so much?" Bo asked when she reached her.

"Don't you remember what happened last time? At Dyson's wedding?" She watched Bo's reaction. "You two slept together then got into a huge fight." Charlotte saw Bo roll her eyes. "She went back to New York after that, remember? You were crushed."

Bo stayed quiet, for a moment. "Things were different back then."

"And what's changed in three years?" Charlotte's voice was starting to rise at the ends.

"A lot," Bo answered, flatly.

"Right, I'm so sure. You're who you are, and she's who she is." She hurried off. "Can't change that."

 _XXXX_

 _11 years earlier._

 _Lauren paced back and forth in Kenzi's room waiting for her to wake up. She checked her vitals, brushed the hair off her face and waited._

 _And waited._

 _Later on, Kenzi eased softly awake, "Is this hell?" She joked looking around the room. "Because being trapped in a hospital is what I in vision hell to be."_

 _Lauren offered her some water. She stared at Kenzi's gray face, "Kenzi I don't know what's wrong with you. I'm so sorry. I've never seen anything like it."_

 _Kenzi started to say another joke but stopped herself when she saw how serious Lauren appeared._

" _The only thing I can think of and this isn't even a guaranteed cure, is that I could turn you Fae. It is a risk because your body is so weak-"_

 _Kenzi put her hand up, weakly, to stop her. "No thanks, Doc. I don't want you turning me into Frankenstein's monster."_

 _Lauren chuckled despite herself then turned serious again. "You don't even want to try?"_

 _Kenzi shook her head, "It took a while to realize it, but I'm happy being human. I don't want to be anything else."_

 _Lauren took her hand…_

XXXX

Gus was giving Lauren different stacks of papers to read over. "Dr. Lewis?" He interrupted to get her attention.

"What is it?" Lauren asked not looking up, still reading.

"Dr. Allen said she's on her way here. I'm to pick her up from the airport this afternoon." Lauren focused on him, confused. "Did she not tell you that?" He asked unsure about her expression.

Lauren got to her feet, "Why's she coming here?" She rubbed the back of her neck hard, trying work out the tense muscles. "We'll be home in a couple of days."

Gus shrugged. "I think she wants to talk to you about what happened at the lab in person."

Lauren flopped down in the chair, quickly. "I need a drink. We leave town for one week and it's like the whole world is burning."

Gus moved to her side. "Do you want me to get you a drink?"

"I was joking, Gus. It's too early to drink. Just let me know when Dr. Allen gets here."

He nodded. She picked up a stack of papers, examining them intently.

 _XXXXX_

 _Dyson and Bo stood staring at Lauren, who looked like she hadn't slept in days._

" _Why can't you give her that serum you used on yourself?" Dyson asked, nervously playing with his arms._

 _Lauren looked at him with a sad, resigned expression. "I'm sorry Dyson that serum only works to slow down human aging. It's not an immortality drug. It wouldn't cure whatever this is."_

 _Bo crossed arms tightly around her body._

 _The twins walked into the room, looking concerned at their parents. Dyson looked back and forth between them and Bo and Lauren. He decided to take the kids outside, so Bo and Lauren could be alone._

 _They sat in a long strained silence. "Turn her Fae, Lauren," Bo said, flatly._

 _Lauren sighed. "She doesn't want that. I told you."_

" _It's not her choice." Bo's tone was growing harsher._

" _Of course it is you don't mean that."_

 _Bo flipped around angrily to face her. "She has a daughter!" She tried to soften her tone, after Lauren looked startled, "Please, Lauren," Her voice cracked. "It's Kenzi…"_

XXXX

Mac and Bo were eating breakfast together. Everyone had gotten up late today, as all the activities were starting to wear them out.

"Mark's coming, did you know that?" Mac asked while pouring syrup over her pancakes.

"I did know," Bo answered with a smile. Mac reminded her so much of Kenzi, even her appetite.

"So, what will we do over the summer?" Mac was almost bouncing in her seat.

"Anything you want." Bo squeezed her knee.

"Great! Do you think Lauren will also come?"

Bo looked at Mac, surprised. "I don't know." She paused. "She's pretty busy with work."

Mac nodded while chewing, "Oh, I know." She took a big drink of her orange juice. "She usually has me and my father over on Fridays for dinner, but sometimes she has to cancel because of work."

Bo smiled at her again and glanced up to see Lauren walking in with Gus.

 _XXXXX_

 _Nine years earlier._

 _Bo leaned against Kenzi's bed. She'd been there for five days straight, Kenzi drifting in and out of consciousness. Bo rubbed her fingers over Kenzi's arm and brought Kenzi's hand up to her mouth to kiss it, lightly._

 _Kenzi opened her eyes, her face sunken in. "Hey." She whispered._

 _Bo looked at her with tears in her eyes. "I can't lose you, Kenzi. I just can't."_

 _Kenzi tried to smile but lacked the strength. "Bo, you'll be fine, I know it. You can have this amazing family." She coughed. "You have to take care of them."_

 _Bo wept uncontrollably, holding Kenzi tight…._

XXXX

"Do you want to join us?" Bo asked Lauren, having walked over to Lauren and Gus' table.

Lauren gave Bo a bright smile. "I'd like that." She handed Gus her bag. "Gus, we'll finish up later."

"Of course, Dr. Lewis." He gathered up his things and left while Bo and Lauren walked over to rejoin Mac.

"Lauren!" Mac was on her second plate of breakfast. "We were just talking about the summer."

"Oh, yeah?"

"Do you think you could come to Toronto and join us?" She looked at Lauren, her eyes sparkling, "It's so great having everyone together again." She smiled back and forth between them. "I'd love to be able to do it again soon."

"I'll definitely think about it." She pushed a piece of hair behind Mac's ear.

Bo starting playing with her fingers, trying a hide a smirk.

"Great!" Mac answered loudly, excited.

Bo and Lauren considered each other, for a moment, grinning then watched as Mac continued to eat her breakfast.

 _XXXX_

 _9 years earlier._

 _The family all dressed in black gathered in Bo and Lauren's house. Flowers, cards, and food filled every inch of the room._

 _Charlotte and Nate were playing with Mac, trying to keep her busy throughout the hard day._

 _Ethan was sleeping on the couch with Bo by his side, running her fingers through his brown hair._

 _Dyson and Mark were drinking beers, but not speaking._

 _Lauren was in her lab downstairs, alone, crying silently…_

* * *

 **AN**

 **Thanks again for reading, I love reading the comments and theories.**

 **To answer a question:**

 **Gus is Lauren's assistant, I think I slipped that detail in ch. 1, so I can see how some might have missed it.**

 **Sorry for the sad chapter, but we have to get through the tough stuff now.**


	8. Chapter 8

XXXX

"Ethan," Charlotte shrieked, "Come with me," She demanded and pulled his arm leading him into an empty room.

"What is it," he asked pulling his arm away from her clutches. He wasn't in the mood to hear more grumbles about their parents, especially with Gus on his case all the time lately.

"I can't believe this." She paced nervously back and forth, running her fingers through hair. "This is not the plan!" She said, loudly. "This can't be happening." Her tone got quiet.

He sighed. She was having a conversation with herself, thinking he knew what she was talking about. "Char, is this about our moms?" He mentally rolled his eyes thinking about that possibility.

She glared at him, "Not everything is about them." She huffed, finally taking a seat.

"Sorry, but you have been pretty obsessed with them all week. Going on and on about how they don't stay away from each other."

"I'm not obsessed." She hissed. "They're the ones-" She took a breath and stopped herself. "This is something else."

He grabbed her hand, "What is it?"

"I'm pregnant." She started crying. "I had this 10-year plan," She sobbed. "It was planned," She sobbed again. "Kids were not scheduled until year five." She put her head in her hands, crying loudly.

He bit back a laugh. He knew that it wouldn't help anything, so he tried not to show his reaction, but she was so over the top. "Char, that's great news." He said, happily.

She looked up at him, tears in her eyes. "What if I'm a terrible mother?"

He pulled her into a hug. "You'll be a great mom, I know it."

"How can you be so sure?" She asked, her voice small, her eyes downcast.

"Because despite how it ended, we had a happy childhood and two great moms, who loved us and each other a lot." He held her hand tight. "You had great role models."

"But," she continued through a sob, "That's what makes me more scared, than anything else." He wiped the tears off her face.

"What do you mean?" He asked calmly.

"If two people who love each other as much as our moms can't make it work? Who can?" Her held her breath, for a bit. "I'm so scared. I'll screw this up, this kid, my marriage."

They sat silently together, Ethan holding her tightly.

 _XXXX_

 _Six months after Kenzi's death._

 _Bo put dinner on the table, three plates one for her and one for each of the twins. Lauren would probably be at the lab late again._

 _Charlotte was playing with her hair, "I have a new boyfriend," she gushed._

" _No one cares," Ethan teased, flipping a piece of food at her._

 _She dramatically brushed it off, "He's very funny," Charlotte continued ignoring Ethan._

" _Where's mom?" Ethan asked interrupting Charlotte before the conversation turned into a love letter to her boyfriend._

" _Working, I guess," Bo said, rubbing in between her eyes. "I think she'll be at the lab until late tonight."_

 _After dinner, the twins helped Bo clean up._

 _Shortly after, "Well we have to go, bye mom." They kissed her cheek and rushed off to meet friends._

 _Bo put the rest of the dishes away and walked around the empty house. She sighed deeply. Her eyes were scanning over the family portraits when her eyes fell on Kenzi and Mac. Her eyes burned with tears._

 _Suddenly, she pulled out her cell and dialed Dyson's number._

 _When he picked up, she quickly asked, "Do you have any cases you're working on? The more challenging, the better."_

XXXX

As Charlotte was MIA during the afternoon after talking with Ethan, the family enjoyed the time off from scheduled activities. Going to the beach, drinking, eating, basically, having a great time relaxing.

Dyson and Mac took a boat out on the water. She laughed wildly as the wind rushed over her hair and body. He kept teasing her by taking sharp turns.

"Dyson!" She'd squeal, but continued laughing, telling him to go faster.

Ethan, who was sworn to secrecy over Charlotte's pregnancy, sat by the beach reading. He was just wanted to enjoy a brief moment away from drama. It was his vacation, after all, and it was turning out to be more stressful than working. Both Charlotte and Gus were so dramatic it was driving him crazy.

Bo and Lauren sat by the beach, drinking fruity drinks. Lauren seemed to be actively ignoring her phone to try and enjoy the time.

Bo would smirk every time Lauren's phone would buzz, and she would hesitant for a minute, and then decide to ignore it. But her eyes would always dart back to it, as if she'd changed her mind. So far, she hadn't answered any calls, texts or emails. Bo was impressed.

"So, what happened in New York?" Bo asked as Lauren's phone buzzed again. "Must have been pretty bad."

Lauren sighed, "A project we've been working on for over a year." She rubbed her eyes, "Suffice it to say, we, basically, have to start over, all the time, money and effort lost."

"I'm sorry to hear that." Bo was genuinely sorry to hear that Lauren was having difficulty at work.

Lauren sighed, "I had hoped to start pulling back, a little, soon, or relatively soon. Let Ethan take on more responsibility, but…" She paused, reminding herself that she still needed to talk Ethan about Paris.

Bo looked at her surprised, her eyebrow arched. "Pull back?" Bo asked, skeptically.

"What?" Lauren rolled her eyes, mostly at herself. "You know that foundation I started in Kenzi's name?"

Bo nodded, her stomach churning, slightly, at the mention of Kenzi's name. Even after all this time it was still hard for Bo, but it was getting better.

"I had wanted to start focusing on that more and working at the lab, more on a part time basis." She stared at her phone. "But it doesn't look like that will happen, at least for a little while longer."

"You deserve a break, Lauren. I hope you can get it all worked out." Bo said, before she finished the last bit of her drink.

"My business partner, Dr. Lucy Allen, is flying down to give me more details." She checked the time, "She should be here now, actually. Gus is picking her up." Lauren, also, finished her drink putting her empty glass next to Bo's.

"Well, I hope everything is ok."

Lauren nodded and shrugged. "I hope so," she paused, putting her phone away, but she couldn't resist stealing a glance at it. "I'm going to go back to my room and change."

"Oh," Bo debated her response briefly then said, "Can I join you?"

 _XXXX_

 _12 months after Kenzi's death._

 _Lauren walked into the house late. Things were coming along. She was close to figuring out what happened to Kenzi. She couldn't let this illness claim another life, her thoughts never leaving Mac._

 _She was surprised to find the house empty. She wandered around, searching. No one. She knew the twins would be out, but she thought Bo would be home. It was late, very late._

 _She called Bo's cell, no answer._

 _She called Dyson, "I think she was working on a case." He answered when she asked if he'd seen Bo. "Her own case, not one of mine."_

 _Lauren rested her hand on her forehead, "Alone, again?" she asked, but she already knew the answer._

 _Dyson was silent, for a pause then said, "I don't know where she is, but I think so. Like I said it's her own cases she's working on."_

 _Lauren sighed as she put down the phone, Bo had promised, many times, to stop taking so many cases or at least take Dyson or Mark with her for backup. She walked to the bedroom, alone…_

XXXX

Bo stood in front of Lauren, who sat on the couch. Lauren slowly lifted Bo's shirt off her. Her eyes dancing over the length of Bo's body, she darted her tongue out, wetting her lips. "You're so sexy, Bo," Her tone low and husky.

Bo smirked and rested her hands on Lauren's shoulders as Lauren unbuttoned her pants, sliding them off her body, slowly. Lauren placed a soft kiss on Bo's stomach and playfully added her tongue. Bo grabbed her head, to hold her there for a moment. Lauren did stay, kissing and licking Bo's stomach, her hands firmly resting on her hips.

Finally, Bo stepped out of her pants and climbed onto Lauren's lap.

They pressed their lips together, hard. They moaned, simultaneously, as their tongues brushed against each other. Lauren ran her hands up and down Bo's back and finally rested her hands on her hips, again.

Bo moved to Lauren's neck and Lauren arched her head back broadly allowing Bo greater access.

Lauren slipped her fingers inside Bo. Bo held her breath, momentarily, before letting out a rough gasp.

They started slowly, gaining a steady rhythm. Bo's head fell back, her eyes half closed, as she savored Lauren's long, slow strokes.

Their pace increased, pushing harder against each other. Bo griped Lauren's shoulders, her nails pressed into Lauren's skin.

They pulled apart, suddenly, when they heard a loud knock on Lauren's door.

"Bloody, hell." Bo sighed out, moving off Lauren and gathering her clothes quickly.

"Sorry, again," Lauren said, slightly out of breath from their activities.

Bo gave her a light kiss before hurrying off to the other room to dress.

Another loud knock, Lauren smoothed out her clothes and hair and walked to answer the door.

"Charlotte, what's wrong?" She asked, seeing her daughter standing slumped over, tears in her eyes.

 _XXXX_

 _14 months after Kenzi's death._

 _Lauren sat on her and Bo's bed, nervously checking the time, waiting for Bo._

 _Hours later, Bo walked into the bedroom._

 _Lauren's eyes got wide as she saw her wife dripping in blood, clothes torn, hair matted._

" _What happened?" She choked out, trying to calm her voice._

" _I'm fine. I just need a shower." Bo answered as she stripped off her bloody clothes._

" _Bo, why didn't you heal?" Lauren took a cautious step toward her._

" _I won't die. I'll heal tomorrow." She said, flatly, "First shower." She started moving to the bathroom._

 _Lauren followed her, "Bo, you can't keep taking these dangerous cases alone." She wiped a tear from her face. "You need backup like Dyson or Mark."_

" _I can take care of myself out there, Lauren," Bo said her tone slightly harsh but mostly drained. "I know what I'm doing."_

" _What are you doing?" Lauren stayed in the bathroom as Bo climbed into the shower._

" _Helping people." She closed her eyes as the hot water ran over her body, washing the blood and dirt off._

 _Lauren considered this, for a moment, and bit back her response. She stripped off her clothes and joined her wife._

 _She stood behind Bo, washing the blood off her back, fingers tracing over the open cuts…_

XXXX

Charlotte threw her arms around Lauren and cried. Lauren jumped, a little, but held her daughter while she cried. She was worried but didn't want to push, so she would wait until Charlotte was ready to talk.

After a long moment, of holding each other, Charlotte finally spoke. "I'm so scared, Mama." She said in between sobs.

"About what?" Lauren asked softly into her ear.

Charlotte continued to cry into her mother's arms, and Lauren continued holding her, lightly stroking her back to calm her.

After a time, they pulled apart and Charlotte wiped her tears away and sat on Lauren's couch.

Lauren watched her. Lauren's heart ached watching her daughter be so upset. "Are you scared about the ceremony?" Lauren asked, gently. She suspected, maybe, her daughter was getting cold feet about marrying Jon.

Charlotte shook her head.

Bo walked from the other room and looked back and forth between her daughter and Lauren. "Oh…" she paused, noticing how upset Charlotte appeared, "Is something wrong?"

"I'm pregnant." Charlotte cried out and laid her head on her knees.

Bo and Lauren's faces lit up, and they smiled at her and each other joyfully.

"That's wonderful." They both said, excited.

"This was not my plan. I'm not ready." Charlotte kept her head down. "It's too soon."

Bo and Lauren moved to sit next to her, both on each side.

"You'll be a great, mom," Bo said, tenderly pulling her hair back. "No doubt."

"I barely can take care of myself. How can I care for a child?" Her shoulders bounced up and down as she settled down from crying.

"These things have a way of working themselves out. You'll see, as scary as it is now, in time, you'll see what a wonderful thing it is." Lauren rubbed her back, comfortingly. "It's ok to be scared. It's normal." She looked at Bo. "And we're here to help you with whatever you need."

Charlotte pulled herself up and looked at her parents. "Thanks, guys. That does make me feel a little better." She forced a smile.

Bo and Lauren exchanged smiles, and they all sat in silent for a while.

"What were you two doing in here?" Charlotte finally asked, she felt both her parent stiffen a little. Charlotte snorted and got up. "On second thought, I don't want to know."

"I guess I have my own family to worry about now." She gave them a half-smile. "But first I have to get through this wedding."

"If you need anything, just ask," Bo added.

Charlotte nodded. "I guess I'll have to tell Jon, now." She fixed her hair, it was slightly messy from crying. "I think he'll be happy."

"I know he will," Lauren said warmly.

"Ok. Thanks." She walked to the door. "I love you, guys." She rushed out the door before they could respond.

 _XXXXX_

 _20 months after Kenzi's death_

 _No one had seen or heard from Bo in 2 weeks. She'd been working on a case, alone, and now no one could find her. She didn't answer her phone. No one had a clue of where she was._

 _Dyson was trying to reassure Lauren, who was frantic. "It's Bo, she'll be fine." He said in a soothing tone._

 _She glared at him, her face worn down from crying. "It's been two weeks, Dyson. Where could she be?"_

 _Dyson looked down at his feet, although, he was trying to be strong for Lauren and the twins, he was very worried himself._

" _Why didn't she take you or Mark along?" Lauren said this to Dyson, but really she was just saying it out loud._

 _Dyson patted her back to calm her._

" _I can't lose, Bo. Don't you see? I can't." She had tears in her eyes when she looked at him, "What would we do, without her?"_

" _We'll find her, I promise." He said, forcing out as much confidence in his tone as he could._

XXXX

"So, grandmothers?" Bo said, after a moment of silence between them.

"I'm excited, aren't you?" Lauren answered, her eyes shining.

Bo nodded. "I guess, I just didn't think it would happen so soon."

"But it's a wonderful surprise."

Seeing Lauren so happy made Bo's heart soar. She was happy for Charlotte. She was just in shock from the news.

"I have some equipment here. Maybe she'll let me give her a check-up."

Bo took Lauren into her arms. "I'm sure she will." She lightly stroked her hair. "Now, there's another reason for you to pull back from work." She placed a soft kiss on Lauren's cheek. "So, hopefully, you can get things squared away at work."

"I have to see what Lucy has to say. It may not be as disastrous as I fear."

"I hope you're right."

 _XXXX_

 _21 months after Kenzi's death._

 _Lauren and the twins cuddled in Bo and Lauren's bed. Bo had been missing for a month now. The twins lay on each side of her, with Lauren in the middle. They were sleeping, she wasn't. She didn't sleep much since Bo went missing, how could she. Her face was raw from crying. When did she stop crying? Never it seemed, at least in private. She put on a brave face for her children. She had to, and with one mother missing they couldn't see their other mother fall apart._

 _She missed her wife. Guilt plagued her. She knew that she shouldn't have buried herself in work after Kenzi's death. Bo needed her. She let her down, let her kids down. Now, Bo was missing. Dead? She felt nauseous at the thought._

 _Her phone rang. She sprang out of her thoughts and answered quickly._

 _Dyson on the other line, "We found her. She's alive but hurt. I'll bring her to the clinic."_

XXXXX

Jasmine placed a flirty hand on Dyson's arm. "You're so strong." She purred out. She needed someone to have sex with her, anyone at this point. Bo seemed to be done with her, rudely not inviting her to Lauren's bed with her. It was just rude. She'd come all this way for fun, and now she was left to her own devices for entertainment. Really, it was just rude.

Dyson gave her a charming smile and pointed to his wedding ring. "I'm a one lady, kind of wolf."

She snorted, "I don't see the wifey, do you?"

She squeezed his bicep, and her eyes fell on a leggy, lean woman with brunette hair pulled into a high ponytail, wearing black ribbed glasses walking through the entrance. "Um…hello there naughty school teacher." She sat up straight trying to get a better look at the brunette.

Dyson frowned at her.

She continued. "Oh man, it's like someone pulled every fantasy I've ever had and placed them all here on this island." She licked her lips in an exaggerated gesture.

Dyson, finally, followed her gaze and saw what she was talking about. "Oh, that's Dr. Allen, Lauren's business partner."

"Really?" She said in a low voice. "Interesting, indeed."

Dyson looked at her, confused.

"Oh honey, you don't think that Lauren wasn't hit that?" She licked her thumb. "Lauren's a red blooded woman, no way she hasn't."

Dyson laughed and shook his head. "Um…ok."

"I can see it now, late nights at the lab. Working on important science and before you know it, lab coats and panties are flying, sweaty bodies crashing into each other." She smirked, broadly. "Bo's gonna flip." She clapped her hands together. "This wedding is so much fun!"

 _XXXX_

 _Lauren held Bo's hand until she woke up. The twins waited outside with Dyson. She didn't want them to see Bo like this. They had argued with her about staying outside but after she had put her foot down, they stayed outside._

 _Bo opened her eyes, seeing her wife's crying face. "Lauren?" she said, weakly, blinking slowly trying to focus._

" _Bo," Lauren whispered and as gently as she could and put light kisses on Bo's bruised face._

" _Where are the kids?" Bo asked, forcing out the question._

" _They're outside." Lauren brushed the hair off Bo's face. "You have to stop this, ok? For us, ok? Please stop." Her voice was shaking so bad, she barely got the words out._

 _Bo forced her eyes closed and drifted back to sleep. Lauren rested her head on the bed, also drifting off to sleep, her hand linked with Bo's hand…_

* * *

 **AN:**

 **Thanks for reading.**

 **Next chapter will be all flashbacks.**


	9. Chapter 9

_XXXX_

 _13 months before the divorce._

 _The family gathered around the table having a nice meal before the twins moved out. It was tense but enjoyable. Bo had cooked the twin's favorite meals, which were, of course, different, so she made two dinners. Lauren made them a cake. Cake was something they always agreed on._

" _What are two going to do, now that we're gone?" Ethan asked his moms._

 _They both stiffened, things were strained between them lately, but they smiled. "We'll manage," Lauren said, after a little too long of a silence._

 _Charlotte was looking at herself in a mirror, putting on make-up. "Oh my god, you two are going to be so bored without us." She brushed her hair. "I mean we're the ones that make this place fun."_

" _Are you saying our moms are boring?" Ethan asked, smirking at Lauren and Bo._

" _Of course they are," Charlotte said, turning around to look at her outfit. "Have you met them?"_

" _I'm sure things will be very lively around here," Bo said, shortly._

 _Lauren gave her knowing look, Bo sighed._

 _After dinner was over, the twins lingered by the door, both moms giving them multiple hugs and kisses._

 _Bo gave them the leftovers. Lauren gave them an envelope of money. Ethan smiled at them, "Thanks. I have a feeling we'll be eating a lot of takeout soon."_

" _I can cook." Charlotte looked at Ethan, appalled._

 _Ethan laughed and patted her shoulder. "Pouring cereal is not cooking."_

" _Whatever. I can also make eggs." Charlote added as counted the money Lauren had given them._

 _After the back and forth had continued for a while, the twins walked from the house, and Bo and Lauren drew back into the empty house. Without speaking, they went to bed._

 _XXXX_

 _11 months before the divorce._

 _Bo pressed Lauren against the wall in their bedroom. Pushing hard and deep into her wife. Lauren gripped the back of Bo's head to steady her. Bo buried her head into Lauren's shoulder biting down on the soft flesh, Lauren's grip tightened with the contact._

 _Bo kept up her deep, penetrating thrusts until Lauren's release rushed through her, and Bo stood there for several minutes holding her and kissing her, as Lauren came down from her high._

 _After they finished Bo flopped onto the bed, not bothering to get dressed, calm and ready to sleep._

 _Lauren stared at her wife, as she slipped on her clothes. "Bo." She said, cautiously._

" _Uh, huh," Bo answered she was already almost asleep._

 _Lauren sat on the edge of their bed. "I think we should go see a grief counselor."_

 _Bo snorted. "I'm not going to see some head doctor." She turned over onto her back. "I know me better than anyone, what could a stranger have to say?"_

 _Lauren looked down at her feet. "Please, do it for me?" She paused, "Grief can manifest in a variety of ways. Talking and understanding that can help you heal."_

 _Bo reached down and pulled Lauren on top of her, and kissed her. "This is how I heal." She whispered against Lauren's lips._

 _She started removing Lauren's clothes. Lauren allowed herself to be drawn closer into Bo. Bo flipped her over and kissed her way down Lauren's body. Lauren frowned but let her wife continue. Bo put Lauren's legs over her shoulders and settled into her._

" _Please stop." Lauren's voice was breathy, gripping the bed sheets, firmly._

 _Bo lifted her head and licked her lips, "What? This?"_

 _Lauren shook her head. "Taking the dangerous cases."_

 _Bo thrust her tongue back into Lauren. She choked out a moan at the intense pressure._

" _Please…" Lauren murmured, letting the pleasure take her._

 _XXXX_

 _Lauren sat, alone, in the counselor's office._

 _He watched her and finally asked, "Do you think your husband is running late? Should we call him?"_

 _Lauren looked at him, confused. "Wife." She said, checking her phone for the tenth time. Her leg, nervously, bouncing up and down._

" _Oh." He looked at his paperwork. "I'm sorry, Bo sounded like a man's name."_

" _It's fine," Lauren said, distractedly, checking the time, again._

 _It was quiet for a long uncomfortable moment._

 _He started tapping his pen on his clipboard as she scrolled through her phone._

" _Is there anything you'd like to talk about without your wife?" He gave her a sympathetic smile._

 _She sighed and gathered up her things, "No."_

 _She walked quickly out of the office._

 _XXXX_

 _As Lauren sat in the counselor's office, Bo was chasing two Fae thugs through an alley. She felt alive, powerful, adrenaline rushing through her body._

 _Bo had missed the meeting with the counselor, but two women had been in trouble. What was she supposed to do? It was life or death. Lauren would understand, she thought._

 _Helping people is what they do. It was what Bo did, was she supposed to stop and call Dyson for backup? Of course not, she could handle herself, regardless._

 _She cornered them, "Hey guys." She smiled at them with delight, energy crackling through her, "Let's get this party started."_

 _They rushed at her…_

 _XXXX_

 _Bo made a special dinner for Lauren as an apology for missing their meeting. She waited, and waited. No Lauren._

 _She sat at the table, candles lit around the table. She checked her phone. No messages._

 _She played the table linen then pulled out another case file and began reading. She was intrigued, it did sound like another interesting case._

 _She sighed, after waiting several hours. Put the food away and went to bed._

 _Lauren sat in the lab working on Kenzi's case. She'd discovered what had happened to Kenzi, now she needed a cure._

 _It was a very rare and complicated disease, and she feared the genetic component of it. Her family couldn't lose another member. She would not let Mac be next. They couldn't handle that, her children, Bo-_

 _It was late, but she needed to work._

 _She stared at the samples in her microscope, she lost track of the time._

 _XXXX_

 _6 months before the divorce._

 _Lauren was lying on the bed with her arm over her eyes. They had been arguing for hours, and she was exhausted._

" _And another thing, why is you can work all the hours you want, but if I want to take cases, it's world war 3?" Bo said, her voice high and edgy._

 _Lauren sighed and didn't remove her arm from her face. "It's not about the cases it's about being safe, taking backup. Letting others know where you are." She finally sat up. "You almost died, remember? You were missing for a month!"_

 _She continued, ignoring Bo's dismissive posture. "Adrenaline addiction is a very real thing. People can become addicted to high-risk situations, so talking to someone could be helpful." She sensed Bo wasn't really listening. "Everyone copes with grief differently."_

 _Bo rolled her eyes. "This again." She walked into the other room._

 _Lauren sprang up and followed her, "Yes, this again. You have a family, now. It's not like before, take cases, help people, but do it responsibly. It's all I ask."_

" _And what about what I asked? With Kenzi?"_

 _Lauren stopped and stared at Bo. "Excuse me?"_

" _You could have turned her Fae, Lauren."_

 _Lauren put her hands into the air. "Goodnight, I'm going to bed."_

" _Fine," Bo muttered, she watched her wife close the door to their bedroom and she left the house, slamming the door behind her._

 _XXXX_

 _5 months before the divorce._

 _After a marathon of sex, lust and kissing, Bo and Lauren laid on opposite sides of the bed, not speaking._

 _Bo started to say something, and then immediately decided against it. She closed her eyes, trying to will herself to sleep._

 _Lauren rolled over and watched Bo's body move up and down as she settled into sleep. After she was sure Bo was asleep, she moved closer, burying her head into Bo's back, inhaling deeply._

 _XXXX_

 _4 months before the divorce._

 _Lauren stared at her samples, lost in thought when Dyson walked into the lab._

" _Hey, Doc." He smiled, sweetly. "Are things coming along?"_

 _Lauren shrugged she was tired, drained._

 _He nodded, kindly. He paused before saying. "So, Bo is working on that furies case, right?"_

 _Lauren rubbed the back of her neck, "I think so. She doesn't really talk about her cases with me. It always leads to an argument."_

 _He squeezed her shoulder in a friendly gesture. "Well, I have some information about that case she might need. Could help."_

 _Lauren sighed deeply. "I hope it does."_

 _XXXX_

 _The house was empty when Lauren got home, just like she expected it to be. She checked her messages, nothing from Bo but several from Dyson._

 _She decided not to check her messages until after she had a shower._

 _She took a long shower, just letting the water wash over her. She fought back the tears. She was tired of crying. She refused to do it anymore._

 _After her long shower, she finally checked her messages. Dyson was having a hard time tracking Bo down. She wasn't returning his calls or texts._

 _She sank into the couch, exhausted. She tried, fruitlessly, to call Bo-no answer._

 _Her stomach ached knowing, at that moment, what she had to do-there didn't seem to be another option._

 _She stared at the family photos and waited for sleep to grab her finally._

 _XXXX_

 _Bo, finally, came home two days after she'd gone missing. When she got home, she had expected to see Lauren and have another fight. But there was no Lauren- there was no argument._

 _Entering their bedroom, Bo kicked off her boots and headed toward the large bathtub. Stripping off her clothes, she stepped into the hot water. She wanted to soak long enough to wash off the dirt and filth that came from working on another long case. After soaking long enough for her to feel relaxed and clean, she slipped into her red kimono and sat on their bed._

 _She lightly swept her fingers over Lauren's side of the bed, letting her thoughts wander._

 _Suddenly, her cell rang, she answered, it was another lead on a case she was working._

 _XXXX_

 _2 months before the divorce._

" _Living on own is so great," Charlotte said, enthused. "No offense mom, but I love the freedom."_

" _Yeah, speak for yourself, I still have to live with you." Ethan poked fun at his sister._

" _As if. I'm a great roommate. You have no idea how to clean. It's gross." She ate her salad. "Really, mom you should have taught little Ethan how to clean. He's a disaster. You'd be horrified."_

 _Lauren grinned watching her children quarrel back and forth she missed this. She stayed quiet, not wanting to start the conversation, the reason they were having this lunch. Nothing would be the same after that she knew it._

" _Seriously, Char try living with you. You are the worst. I think you have OCD. Mom, do you think Char has OCD?"_

" _What are you talking about? I just like things clean and organized nothing wrong with that. Tell him, mom, there's nothing wrong with that."_

" _I'm just more relaxed about things that don't matter that much."_

" _Ew. Like week old dishes in the sink? Sickening. You were always babied, though."_

 _Lauren frowned at Charlotte._

" _Oh, please. You both always babied Ethan, and you know it. Probably cause he was the only boy."_

" _I was never babied! They were always on me about my grades."_

 _Charlotte scoffed. "Whatever. Not what I meant."_

 _Suddenly, they noticed Lauren's silence and turned to her. "Mom, why are we here?" Ethan asked._

 _Lauren took a deep breath. "I need to discuss something very important with you both."_

 _They stiffened. "Ok." They said, in unison._

 _She continued. "Well, as you know, things are difficult between your mother and I right now."_

 _Charlotte rolled her eyes. Ethan stared at Lauren, concerned._

" _I decided to open a lab in New York. I'll be leaving, soon."_

" _What!" They both shouted._

 _She rubbed her temples. "I've thought about this a lot. It's the only thing left to do."_

 _Charlotte crossed her arms, glaring at Lauren. "How can moving to New York save your marriage?"_

 _Lauren was silent._

" _Oh, you don't want to save your marriage, okay got it."_

" _Charlotte, stop," Ethan said, grabbing Lauren's hand._

 _XXXX_

 _Bo was out working on a case as Lauren packed her bags._

 _She sat at the kitchen table, waiting. And waiting. Her whole body was shaking, she was sure that as soon as she saw Bo she'd lose her nerve and stay. Bo was her life, no matter what was happening between them._

 _She rested her head on the table waiting for Bo, after a long minute, she fell asleep._

 _Hours later, Bo walked into the kitchen._

 _She looked at Lauren and wanted so badly to go over and scoop her up into her arms, but something stopped her. Then, she saw Lauren's bags._

 _Rage flared within her, but also sadness._

" _Lauren." She said, loudly, trying to wake her up._

 _Lauren lifted her head, momentarily, confused then focused her gaze on Bo._

" _What is this?" Bo said, harshly, gesturing toward Lauren's bags._

" _I think this is for the best."_

 _Bo stared at her. "You're leaving?"_

 _Lauren nodded. Her insides churned violently._

" _You can't leave."_

 _Lauren looked down at the table. She couldn't look at Bo right then. "I can't watch you kill yourself."_

 _Bo laughed. "Seriously, I can take care of myself." Her face twisted, in distress. "I'm helping people, just like you are."_

 _Lauren subtly wiped away the tears that fell down her face, but said nothing._

" _Lauren, you can't leave. Please." Bo pleaded, tears now filling her eyes. "You can't leave me, again."_

 _Lauren stayed silent, what could she say? Her decision was made._

" _Lauren," Bo's voice wobbled, "Don't go…"_

* * *

 **AN**

 **Blurgh! Sorry about the depressing chapter, but I thought it was necessary to show, at least, snippets of their marriage falling apart. But I also didn't want to go on for too long about it, so I figured less is more.**

 **Anyways, I'll try it get the next chapter up soon, so this depressing chapter doesn't linger too long.**

 **Thanks for reading!**


	10. Chapter 10

XXXX

"Well, well, look who it is," Jasmine said in an amused voice when Bo entered the room.

Bo ignored her and headed to her closest. Jasmine left her spot by the bed and eased closer to Bo. "This wedding certainly has some interesting guests, don't you think?"

Bo sighed, she had no idea what Jasmine was talking about, and really she didn't care to find out.

Jasmine's lips curled into a smirk. "I mean that Dr. Allen," She stopped and started fanning herself. "Wow, she's hot. I bet Lauren thinks so too."

Bo closed her eyes and prepared herself, turning around to look at Jasmine. "What are you going on about?"

"Oh, me?" She feigned sweetness. "I'm just musing about how this love triangle, is now a love square."

Bo frowned and stepped toward the bathroom. "You don't know what you're talking about."

"I think I do." She clasped her fingers together. "Where is Dr. Lewis now?"

"At a meeting."

"Ah, with the hot Dr. Allen, I presume, well I think I'll make my way down to the bar, and check it out. I can spot sexual chemistry a mile away."

Bo entered the bathroom and closed the door.

"It's a three-way race to snag the Doc, now." She shouted through the door. "Hope you're up for some competition." She smiled at herself, she really did like messing with Bo, it was so much fun. "It's going to be a tight race!"

XXXX

"A baby!" Jon boomed out. "That's great news!" He started dancing around the room, his hefty body moving awkwardly around.

"So, you're excited?" Charlotte asked, she hadn't cried since talking with her parents, they did make her feel so much better, that surprised her.

"Why wouldn't I be excited? This is great news!" He was still dancing.

"Do you think we're ready?"

He stopped dancing and regarded her, for a moment. "Hmmm. Well, maybe we have a lot to learn, but that's what family's for, to help."

She fell back theatrically onto the bed. "I wish we would have stuck to the schedule. Five more years would have been nice."

He flopped down beside her. "You can't plan everything." He lightly touched her stomach.

She rolled her eyes. "You sound like Ethan. And my mom."

"You have a smart family." He smiled wide at her.

She grabbed his hand. "But we need to get through this wedding. It's more important than ever that everything is perfect." She pulled out her phone. "I need to get a hold of that wedding planner."

Jon smiled at her and watched her make her call.

XXXXX

"With Dr. Allen here, it's a perfect time for you to talk to Lauren." Gus repeated to Ethan, who was on the floor doing sit-ups, his first attempt got him nowhere.

Ethan didn't answer. He concentrated on his breathing instead. Gus was a broken record, at this point.

"You know she'll back you up." Gus smiled as innocently as he could, trying to avoid another fight. "She supports your decision." Gus was not going to let Ethan off the hook, today. He was dodging this too much as of late.

Ethan increased his speed, still not answering.

"Ethan, is this a Lewis-Dennis thing to ignore things? To not talk about anything?"

Ethan stopped his workout. "This is my sister's wedding and a lot of shit is happening. I don't want to have that discussion with my mom, now. It can wait."

Gus tossed a shirt at him. "Yes, but in New York, you always have excuses, as well."

Ethan glared at him. "If you don't want to work for your mom, anymore, you need to tell her, she's a grown woman she'll survive."

"Thank you, very much, for telling me about my mom." He stared at Gus. "She expects a lot from me. I don't want to let her down. She doesn't need the added stress on this trip."

"And your reason for not telling her about our relationship?"

Ethan dramatically fell back to the floor, staring at the ceiling. The drama really just never ended recently.

"Oh yes, you have no reason I forgot," Gus muttered and left the room.

XXXX

Dyson walked up to Lauren, who was sitting alone at the bar, and softly pinched her sides. "Is this seat taken?"

She shook her head, grinning at him. "It is now." She gestured for him to sit down.

"So, what are you doing here all alone?"

She glanced at the time. "I'm waiting for someone."

He nodded. They sat in a comfortable silence, for a moment.

After a pause, Dyson spoke. "How are things in New York?" He took a drink. "I know it's not my place but you kind of look sad."

She rolled her eyes at herself. "New York's New York, I guess. I've been working on this cure for Kenzi's disease for so long. It doesn't even feel real anymore. Now, with this latest setback…" She paused lost in her own mind. "I don't know." She sighed.

Dyson poured her a drink. "I was talking about your personal life."

She laughed, "Oh, that." But she said nothing else.

"You'd be proud of Bo." He watched her face. "She's been working at the Dal, mostly full time, and only helps Mark and I out on cases, occasionally."

"I'm happy to hear that. Very happy." Lauren said but didn't offer anymore.

Dyson saw a glitter of a figure walking towards them, he turned to look and saw Dr. Allen approaching.

"I think your business partners here." He kissed her cheek. "Bye, Doc."

He nodded a quick hello to Dr. Allen then left the bar.

XXXX

"Mark!" Mac squealed when she saw him enter the hotel. She wrapped her arms around him and squeezed. "Now, the whole family's here."

Bo smiled at Mac hugging Mark, and her heart ached, the whole family was finally there, excluding those they'd lost along the way, it was bittersweet.

"Hi, there Mac," He squeezed her back. "Sorry, I'm late."

"Well, it's great that you're here, now." She looked up at him beaming, her eyes bright and shining.

"Yeah, I'm happy you could make it," Bo added.

"This place is fun. There's so much to do." Mac gushed, following Mark as he grabbed his bags.

"Mmmm," Jasmine whispered into Bo's ear when she walked up behind her, looking at Mark. "Where are all these tasty morsels coming from?"

Jasmine started walking away, Bo reached out and grabbed her arm. "Where are you going?"

"Me?" She put her hand over her chest, fluttering her eyes. "I'm going to get a drink."

"Leave Lauren alone," Bo said, starkly. "Don't disrupt her meeting."

"Guess you'll have to come with me and make sure I behave." She winked at Bo and then moved on to the bar.

Bo sighed but trailed after Jasmine, she didn't want her causing any problems. She had to watch her-she wasn't going to spy on Lauren. Just keep an eye on Jasmine that was it. But she did want to get a look at this Dr. Allen, just because she was curious, not jealous, but curious. Nothing wrong with that, she thought.

XXXXX

Lauren had her head down, reading over the paperwork Dr. Allen had brought. Her fingers were playing with her hair, as she got absorbed in the material.

Dr. Allen's head rested on her hand, her eyes studying Lauren.

Lauren exhaled a quick breath, flipping through the papers. Mumbling things to herself, exasperatedly.

Dr. Allen smirked at her, her eyes now traveling up and down Lauren's body and face. She quickly dampened her bottom lip and swallowed hard.

Across the bar, Bo and Jasmine took a seat, with a clear view of the pair.

"Wow, that Dr. Allen is almost sitting on top of her." She sideways glanced at Bo, her eyes glinting wickedly, "She works fast. Good girl."

Bo jaw clenched, and she quickly stole a peek at the bar. She was sitting pretty close to Lauren, and she was pretty.

Lauren rested her head on the bar, "I thought we accounted for all this? How did we miss it?"

Dr. Allen started rubbing her back, in wide circles. "It's a process. We'll get there." She said in a low, sweet voice. She continued her massage.

"One point for Dr. Allen," Jasmine bounced up and down in her seat from excitement. "I like her."

Bo glared at Jasmine, actively ignoring whatever Jasmine was talking about. She didn't need to look.

"Thanks for bringing me this information, but you could have emailed it. There was no need to fly down here."

"I wanted to talk to you about something else, in person."

Lauren was confused about what Lucy could need to discuss. "Like what?"

Dr. Allen smiled, "I'd like to do it private. Maybe I could come by your room, tonight?"

Lauren scratched the back of her head. "Is this about Ethan? He did…"

Dr. Allen interrupted her, "No, this is something else."

"Um...Ok." She paused, thinking through the day's schedule. "There's a family dinner tonight. I guess you can come by after that."

"Excellent."

"That's how you do it," Jasmine downed her second drink, "Go right for it." She gestured to the server signaling for another drink. "I think I was too subtle for the Doc. I should have been more aggressive. My mistake."

"You're not funny," Bo said, she wrinkled her nose, eying her with suspicion. "You can stop now. I get what you're doing."

"Never too old to learn pointers. That's all I'm saying."

"Boo, shows over." Jasmine pouted as she watched Dr. Allen walk out of the bar. "Can't wait for part two."

Bo frowned reached for her glass and strolled over to the bar.

XXXXX

Ethan waited while Charlotte shoved aside the name cards and rearranged them.

"You might need two more spots." Ethan pointed to the table. "For Mark and Lucy."

Charlotte sighed, "Fine."

"How did our moms react to your news?"

Charlotte stopped, holding all the cards in her hands. "They were happy, but I think I interrupted them…they were…you know." She wrinkled her face and shook her head.

Ethan put his hand over his mouth to hide his smile.

Charlotte didn't seem to notice his reaction. "But I'm done worrying about those two, though."

He looked at her, surprised. "Really?"

She tilted her head, thinking through the seating. "Yeah. I've got enough burdens at this moment. If they get back together, great, if not, fine. It's their lives."

Ethan's mouth was hanging open. "Wow, Char. That's super mature. Is this pregnancy making you…"

"Stop." She put her hand up. "Don't start. It's draining worrying about them. Some people will just be together, no matter what, I guess."

"I love pregnant Charlotte." He teased. "She so reasonable and calm."

She kicked his foot. "Don't get used to it. I'm sure they'll upset me at dinner."

"Guaranteed," Ethan said, a playful smirk on his face. "Probably without even trying."

"Grab some extra chairs would you?" Charlotte directed while trying to get the seating perfect. She pondered putting her parents next to each other, but decided against it. She didn't want a repeat of the last dinner.

XXXX

Bo joined Lauren at the bar. "Did your meeting go well?"

Lauren nodded. "I got more details, for sure. I'll have a lot to do when I get home."

Bo ordered a drink, handing the bartender her empty glass. "So, tonight can I come by your room, again?"

"Oh sure." Then she remember Dr. Allen was coming by later, so she quickly added. "But Lucy is coming by, so it'll have to be after that."

"More work stuff?" Bo asked, as casually as she could while stirring her drink.

Lauren's eyes watched Bo play with her drink. "No, I think she said it was something else."

Bo stared at her drink, stirring more than was necessary. "Is she your girlfriend?" Bo ventured, knowing that Jasmine's taunts had gotten to her, but the question just came out of her.

"Bo really? No." Lauren answered shortly, rolling her eyes. "She's a work associate and friend." Her finger reaching up to absentmindedly, rub over her glass rim.

"Sorry," Bo said, her eyes downcast.

They sat in silence for a while.

"When are we going to talk about us?" Bo asked, again trying to sound nonchalant about it.

Lauren frowned and didn't answer. Her eyes fell on her phone as it started to vibrate.

She moved her hand to answer it, but Bo put her hand over it, first. "Lauren?"

They studied each other as people in the bar chatted away loudly around them.

When Lauren didn't say anything, she inched closer and asked, "I mean what is this? Just sex?" Bo's tone was laced with hurt and worry.

When Lauren didn't respond, Bo pushed. "Lauren? Is it?" Bo started to get upset with her silence. After she a bit, she pushed herself out of the chair to leave. Clearly, Lauren wasn't going to talk about this now and probably never.

Lauren grabbed her arm before she could leave. "No, Bo. It's not just sex, but," She paused trying to get her words right.

"But what?"

Lauren ran her fingers through her hair. "Things are complicated between us. You know that."

"I know. That's why talking would help." Bo said, sitting back down.

Lauren nodded. "We will, ok? We will soon. I promise."

Bo smiled. "Great. That's all I ask." Bo felt a swell of relief that yes they would talk soon, she didn't know how the conversation would go, but at least they would talk soon.

 _XXXX_

 _Bo threw the divorce papers into the fireplace. "I just burned your divorce papers. I'm not signing them." She said heatedly into her cell._

" _Bo, you can't burn a legal document like that."_

" _Well, I just did."_

" _You're acting like a child."_

 _Bo laughed into the phone. "I'm the child? Who ran away? You need to come home so we can talk."_

" _That's funny because every time I have been home, you've been out on a case."_

" _So, I supposed to sit alone in this big house, just waiting for you to come back." She paused, willing her voice to calm, getting upset would get them nowhere, she knew that. "It's not like you call me and tell me when you're coming."_

" _Are you done?" Lauren asked, abruptly._

" _Are you?" Bo asked, now her voice wasn't calm._

" _Yes, I'm quite done. I'll have my lawyers send over more papers."_

 _Bo let out a short irritated breath._

 _They both hung up the phone at the same time._

 _Bo sat by the fireplace and watched the papers burn._

* * *

 **AN**

 **Hello again,**

 **Thanks for reading and I hope it's enjoyable.**

 **To answer a question: Bo was referring to the break-up in 3.10 when she said Lauren left her before, there wasn't another time.**

 **I can keep putting in flashbacks, if people like them. I debated stopping but if people would like to see how they handled being apart during the 5 years I can continue. All opinions welcome.**

 **Until next time...**


	11. Chapter 11

_XXXX_

 _Bo, lazily, read over the divorce papers, well not read, but looked over them. This was the fourth set she'd gotten, and now there was no choice but to sign them and be done. Lauren wasn't even returning her calls at this point._

 _She sat, alone, at the Dal with a bottle rum in front of her. She wasn't even sad, anymore. She was angry. Angry that Lauren would leave her. Not trust her judgment with taking cases._

 _The irony of Lauren, judging anyone's work habits, made her laugh. Talk about a lack of self-awareness._

 _Lauren would work in that lab until she dropped dead at the microscope, but no she couldn't help people, yeah she was furious._

 _She'd give Lauren her divorce, fine, have it. No one would control her actions, she would work whatever cases she wanted._

 _She signed the papers, feeling not better, but empty. Lauren, probably, signed them so easily, she thought._

 _After staring at the papers, lost in thought. She noticed two bulky Fae men walk into the bar._

 _They'll do nicely, she thought, strutting up to them with a charming Succubus smile._

XXXX

 _3 days before the wedding day. Evening._

"Bo!" Mac ran up to Bo, who was standing in the lounge, alone, dinner was scheduled for 30 minutes later. She was early. "What are doing, tomorrow?"

"Hmm, I don't know. What would you like to do?"

Bo tried to ignore her queasy stomach, the pain she felt looking at Mac. It wasn't her fault she looked exactly like Kenzi, Bo knew it wasn't fair to keep dwelling in the past, especially around Mac. She was a magnificent kid, after all.

"Oh, I want to go explore the island. Could we go on a hike?" She pulled out her phone to show Bo different things that the island had available. "Maybe, Lauren could come too. And Mark and Ethan. Everyone!"

Bo bent down to read her Mac's phone.

"There's this hang gliding place, where you can fly over the island. It sounds so cool." Mac's voice was oozing with happiness and excitement and Bo found herself getting just as excited.

"Yeah, that sounds great." She grinned widely.

"Lucy's here?" Mac asked, suddenly, pointing to Dr. Allen, who had entered the lounge. "Lucy!" She called out, and that seemed to surprise Dr. Allen, a bit.

"Hey, Mac," Lucy said, sweetly when she reached them.

"What are you doing here?" Mac asked.

Bo thought about casually walking away, but she planted her feet, instead. She didn't want to talk to this Dr. Allen, for some reason. She just didn't know her was all.

"I'm here for Lauren," Lucy said.

Lucy and Bo's eyes met at that declaration. Bo sensed that was a loaded statement.

Mac smiled. "Poor, Lauren. Can't ever get away from work."

"I think I'm going to go find Charlotte," Bo said, she really didn't want to be there.

Before Bo could leave, Lucy stopped her. "Could you stay, a moment, Bo, I would like to talk to you."

Bo opened her mouth, but Mac spoke first. "Oh, adults stuff got it. I'm going to go find Mark."

Mac waved goodbye, leaving Bo standing with the one person, she really, really didn't want to be talking with. Where's Jasmine when you need her, Bo wondered.

 _XXXXX_

" _Ethan, this place is perfect don't you think?" Lauren, proudly, gazed around the brand new lab. "We'll do great things here, I think, get a lot accomplished."_

 _Ethan nodded, unpacking the last on the boxes. "For sure. It's a great lab. You did good, ma."_

 _Lauren put her hands on her hips and continued looking around the lab._

 _Her phone rang. "Yes." She was silent, listening to the other person. "Oh, really…no." She paused. "That's great news. I'm glad to hear it."_

 _She ended her call and frowned._

" _Something wrong?"_

 _She shook her head. "No. Your mother, finally, signed the papers, is all."_

 _Ethan stepped closer to her, to comfort her. She stopped him._

" _We have a lot to do. We better get started."_

 _She quickly walked away from him and out of the lab._

 _Alone, in the hallway, she pushed her back against the wall. She closed her eyes tight and silently wiped the tears from her face._

XXXX

"So, how's everything going? Lauren said there were some problems in New York." Bo offered after they sat in silence.

"It's nothing WE can't handle," Lucy answered.

Bo squinted at her and regarded her, for an instant, after that answer. "Ok. What did you need to discuss with me?"

Lucy peered right in Bo's eyes. "I'm in love with Lauren. And I'm here to tell her that, and I have no intention of letting her turn me down."

Bo laughed. "Letting her? Hmmm."

"She only needs to see how perfect we are for each other. We have the same goals, the same education-"

"Sounds boring. Why doesn't Lauren just date herself then."

"Shared interests are a very important part of a long lasting relationship."

"You don't seem to know Lauren at all, really." Bo leaned closer to her. "She needs someone who challenges her. She needs the push and pull, the passion that comes with that." She leaned back away from Lucy. "She would never be happy with something that was safe and easy. Like I said she'd be bored."

"You mean someone who always disappoints her? Breaks her heart?"

"Why are you talking to me then? Go talk to her." Bo paused, looking her up and down. "Or are you afraid of what she'll say?"

"I wanted to make sure you wouldn't interfere, that you would do what's best for her."

"I am what's best for Lauren," Bo said flatly and decisively.

They both stopped looking at each other and turned as Lauren walked up to them.

She frowned, her eyes on Bo. "What's going on?"

"Nothing." Bo started off. "See you at dinner."

 _XXXXX_

 _Bo waited, impatiently, for Lauren to answer for her phone. The more rings it took, the angrier she got._

" _Hello? Bo? What's wrong?" Lauren, finally, said on the other end. "It's late."_

" _I'm selling the house. You need to come and get your stuff that's still here."_

" _Selling the house?" Lauren cleared her throat. "Why? Do you need money?"_

" _Money really?" Bo asked, annoyed. "No, I don't need money. I also don't need to live in this huge house all by myself."_

" _Let me buy it from you," Lauren said, after a brief pause._

" _You are unbelievable. You know that." Bo's tone was getting more severe, angrier._

" _What did I do now?"_

 _Bo didn't answer._

" _My thought was, what if Ethan or Charlotte want that house. It's easier to keep in the family. That's all."_

" _Fine. Do whatever you want. You always do anyways."_

 _Bo hung up the phone before Lauren could respond._

XXXX

"So, after tonight, there's only one more free day until the wedding." Charlotte was standing in front of the table, gushing. "Now, I'll be super busy that day. Finalizing everything with that wedding planner."

Ethan laughed and covered his mouth when the table looked at him. "She still doesn't use that poor woman's name." He laughed, again.

Charlotte glared at him. "I have it written down somewhere. I just need to look for it. Anyway, I will need all of you to try on your outfits one last time tomorrow." She turned to look at Jon. "Some of you have been eating like crazy on this trip." She turned back to the group. "I wouldn't want any of your dresses or suits to not fit."

Charlotte continued going over, what her expectations for the next day were. It went on through the first course.

Finally, at the second course everyone was able to have their own conversations.

"The wedding planner's name is Maggie," Lauren whispered to Ethan.

He smiled. "I know. I just like to tease Charlotte about it. She seems determined not to learn her name."

Lauren patted his knee. "I have something I'd like to discuss with you about work."

He stiffened, and she frowned at his reaction. "Maybe we could sit down and talk sometime tomorrow?"

"Sure, Ma." He poured himself a glass of wine.

"So, Bo, have you read Dr. Spencer's paper on the molecular basis of hereditary diseases?" Lucy casually asked Bo, while serving herself food.

"No, I'm sorry my simple barkeeper's brain might explode reading such advanced material," Bo answered, rolling her eyes.

"Now, now you two. We'll get the grease out after dinner, and you can wrestle this out, like proper ladies." Jasmine said, grinning wide at both Bo and Lucy.

"Oh, Lauren is very fascinated with such reading. You might want to familiarize with some of her interests, sometime." Lucy dramatically took a bit of her food, smiling at Bo.

Bo, irritably, took a bite of bread, a wrestling match did sound appealing right about then.

On the other side of the table, Lauren continued to talk to Ethan about work. "If you want to wait until we're back in the city. I understand." She sensed he was getting upset, and she didn't want to push.

He shook his head. "No, it's fine we can talk tomorrow." He glanced over at Bo. She looked angry. "What's going on over there?" He nodded toward Lucy and Bo, who were still going back and forth.

Lauren shrugged. "I have no idea."

 _XXXX_

 _Charlotte walked into Bo's house, and it was a mess._

 _She sighed, searching the house for Bo. She didn't even know if her mom was home at all._

 _Finally, she found Bo sprawled out on the bed, bloody and bruised._

" _Jesus!" Charlotte shouted running over to Bo's side. She shook Bo awake. "What happened?"_

 _Bo looked down at her body. "It's nothing, three…" She trailed off. "I was fighting three… something…" She paused again. "I can't remember, but they were bad news."_

 _Charlotte exhaled and put her hands on her hips. "And why didn't you heal?"_

 _Bo stretched. "I like to feel the pain."_

 _Charlotte looked around the room in an irate gesture. "Oh well, that's super healthy, isn't it?" She pulled the blankets over Bo. "Nothing wrong, there. No. That's perfectly fine."_

 _She huffed and headed out the door._

" _Where are you going?" Bo sat up and asked her._

" _I'm going to find you, someone, to feed off of."_

 _She slammed the door behind her._

XXXX

After dinner, Lucy was pouring Lauren a glass of wine.

"Thanks." She took the glass. "I've been looking over the information and I do have some thoughts about a few things your team might have missed." She reached for the paperwork.

Lucy held her hand, stopping her. "Can we do that later? I wanted to talk to you about something, else."

"Oh, well you came all this way." She withdrew her hand. "I figured…" She stopped when she saw Lucy looking at her intensely. "Ok. What did you want to discuss?"

XXXX

Bo, Dyson, Mark, and Jasmine were having after dinner drinks, outside.

Bo's foot was nervously tapping on the ground. She knew Lauren was in her "meeting" with Lucy. It didn't bother her really, but that woman was just kind of a bitch.

Jasmine was sitting on Mark's lap, feeding him pretzels. He looked pleased, with the attention.

"Something wrong?" Dyson took a seat next to Bo. "You look upset."

She let out a short laugh. "No, I'm fine."

"Oh, I'm so sure," Jasmine said, still feeding Mark. "You want to rip that hot Dr. Allen apart. I, on the other hand, would just like to rip her clothes off."

"I'm not jealous." Bo looked back and forth between all of them. "I'm not. She's a pretentious bitch. She rubbed me the wrong way."

"You're just afraid she's rubbing Lauren the right way, right about now."

XXXX

"Lauren," Lucy's voice was low, she slid closer to her. "We've known each other for a long time." She put her hand on her knee. "We have so much in common. We almost share the same brain."

Lauren opened her mouth to speak. Lucy put one finger over her lips. "I've known for a long time, that I love you."

Lauren's body went rigid. She leaned back.

Lucy pushed closer. "I know you're scared but…" She grabbed Lauren's head and pulled her into a kiss.

XXXXX

Dyson and Bo were left alone. Jasmine had pulled Mark away, a few minutes previously.

"Bo, don't worry about Dr. Allen." He smiled at Bo. "Lauren loves you. And I say that with 100% certainty."

"Love was never our problem." She stared off at the ocean. "It was never about love with us…"

"You're different now, Bo. You've changed since the divorce."

She shrugged. "But what if it's not enough. What if too much time has passed?"

"It's never too late." He took his beer and walked toward the hotel, leaving Bo watching the waves of the ocean, alone.

XXXX

Lucy moaned into Lauren's mouth and pulled her closer. Lauren brought her hands up the Lucy's hands and pushed her away. "Stop. Don't."

Lucy looked at her confused. Lauren stood up and put some distance between and walked to the other side of the room. "This isn't a good idea."

"You don't have to be scared, Lauren. I would never hurt you."

"I'm not scared. But I'm not interested in any romantic relationships, right now. It wouldn't be fair to that person." She looked down at her feet. "I could never give my heart to anyone else because it's already taken."

Lucy crossed her arms and leaned back. "Sometimes, you need to learn to let go of the things that aren't working. You're divorced for a reason."

"None of those reasons are about love," Lauren answered, flatly.

"Love can't fix everything."

"I'm not naïve, I know that."

"So, you prefer to be alone, forever? Never loving again because you can't let go of your ex?"

"Lucy, I'm sorry if this hurts you or if I somehow led you on, but I'm not interested. I can't love anyone else." She stared her in the eyes. "I don't want to love anyone else."

"How do you know she still loves you? You divorced her."

Lauren was silent.

"And what about what's happening, now? Won't you fall back into the same patterns? What's different?"

Again Lauren was silent.

Lucy tilted her head, appearing sad and sauntered over to Lauren. She took her hand. "I'll be here for you, if things don't work out, the way you hope. No one ever really changes."

She smirked at Lauren and left the room.

Lauren sighed and walked over to the window. She squeezed her arms around her body and stared out at the ocean waves.


	12. Chapter 12

Lauren looked around the empty hotel room. She straightened up the papers on the table, deciding it was too late to look at them again. Lucy had left two hours earlier, and Bo never showed. It was late, Bo was probably asleep, she thought. Maybe it was for the best, they could talk tomorrow.

She reached for a bottle of wine, slipped off her clothes and headed to the bathroom, for a long soak in the tub.

The room was silent as Lauren dipped her feet first into the warm water. She closed her eyes and took in the warm, almost hot, water that covered her body, first at her feet then the full length.

She leaned back against the cool marble and brought some of the warm water up to her face, wetting her hair in the process. After a moment of soaking up the pleasant warmth of the water, she reached over the side of the tub for her glass. She stared at wine, lost in thought, thoughts of Bo, and sipped the wine slowly.

Bo stood outside Lauren's room, hesitant and anxious. Her fingers played with the key card in her hand. Lauren had given her one earlier. Bo glanced down the empty hallway. She was terrified and thrilled about what Lauren might say after meeting with Dr. Allen. And yet…in that moment she was ready to find out. She forced the key into the lock and entered the room.

When she entered the room, it looked empty. She sighed, thinking Lauren was asleep. But she cautiously made her way to the back of the room to find out.

 _XXXX_

" _Who the hell are you?" Bo hung her head, slightly, out the door. It was very early, too early for three men to be knocking on her door._

 _They shifted their weight nervously, "We're the movers, Ma'am."_

" _What are you talking about?" Her tone was getting louder as she was getting more upset._

" _Dr. Lewis hired us."_

 _She slammed the door in their faces and rushed off to get her phone._

 _Lauren picked up immediately, she must have been expecting this call, Bo thought._

" _Lauren-"_

 _Lauren cut her off, "Before you start, yes I hired movers to get my stuff. I have not been able to get a hold of you in a week. So, I took the liberty to send them over."_

" _Oh, really?" She took a few quick breaths to calm herself. "I'm not letting some strangers into my house."_

" _They're professionals."_

" _And why couldn't you come yourself?"_

" _I'm very busy. I don't have time to come all that way when I can just hire someone."_

" _Well, you know what, I'm too busy, at the moment, to let your movers into my home."_

" _Bo, be reasonable."_

" _That's hilarious coming from you."_

 _Bo hung up the phone quickly and walked back to the door. "Tell Lauren, if she wants her stuff, she'll have to come and get it herself."_

 _The three men looked at each other, unsure of what to do._

" _Good day." She slammed the door again._

XXXXX

When Bo reached the end of the room, the door of the bathroom was opened. She stopped and listened for sounds from inside. She inched closer, and she could see the edge of a large porcelain tub. Then she heard water moving around. Lauren was taking a bath, she thought. She smiled and swallowed hard before going to the open door.

She didn't peek her head in, she lightly tapped her knuckles on the door the signal her presence.

"Gus, is that you?" Lauren called out after hearing the knocks.

Bo chuckled then peeked into the bathroom. "Sorry to disappoint, but it's just me."

Lauren sat up straight, her eyes wide. "Oh, I didn't think you were coming."

"Sorry, I got hung up. I wanted to give you plenty of time for your…meeting or whatever." Bo mentally rolled her eyes at the thought of Dr. Allen.

Lauren smiled, "Lucy left hours ago."

"Oh." Bo was happy to hear that but tried not to show too much satisfaction on her face. "Mind if I come in and have a glass?" She gestured toward the wine bottle on the floor.

Lauren grinned and nodded, signaling for Bo to enter.

 _XXXXX_

 _Bo spent the entire wedding staring at Lauren, who would also steal glances back at her. It had been so long since they'd seen each other. It was as if they were rediscovering each other through those looks._

 _Finally, in the twilight hours of the reception Bo asked for a dance, which Lauren, after a brief pause, agreed to with a smile._

 _Most of the other guests were gone or too drunk to dance, so it was just the two of them on the dance floor. Not that they would have noticed if anyone else was around._

 _Lauren loosely dangled her arms around Bo's neck. Bo had a firm grip on Lauren's hips._

" _How's New York," Bo asked, keeping her voice low, she wasn't sure why._

" _Great. I mean fine…" Lauren eyes left Bo's and bounced around the room. "How are you?"_

 _Bo shrugged, "Same old, same old."_

 _Lauren nodded. Her eyes landed back on Bo's and subconsciously fell onto Bo's lips._

 _Bo noticed this and licked her bottom lip, slowly._

 _They continued to dance, not even hearing the music if there was any music._

 _Bo rested her head on Lauren's shoulder and held her back. Lauren's fingers moved to Bo's hair, lightly spreading between the loose curls._

 _Bo decided to go for it and brought her mouth up to Lauren's ear, and quietly whispered, "Do you want to get out of here?"_

 _Lauren tilted her head back so she could look at Bo, "Yes." Lauren answered, instantly, her voice not as low._

XXXX

Bo sat on the floor of the bathroom with her head rested on the tub. She was on her second glass of wine.

"You never told me how things went with Dr. Allen."

"What's to tell? Nothing happened."

"Oh, well she said some things before dinner and I just thought…"

"Thought what?"

Bo turned her head so she could look into Lauren's eyes, "She said she was in love with you, and I should stay away from you."

"What did you say?" Lauren asked, running her fingers over the side of the porcelain tub.

"I said I wouldn't." Bo brushed her fingertips against Lauren's wet arm. "Do you have feelings for her? Any at all?"

"No." Lauren sipped more of her wine. "I can't help who Lucy loves and I can't help who I…" Lauren trailed off, stopping herself from continuing.

Bo tiled her head and brought her face closer to Lauren, "Lauren?" She danced her fingers across the surface of the water. "Can I join you?"

Lauren leaned toward Bo and touching her cheek with her hand, tracing Bo's jaw line with her thumb. "Yes."

Bo looked down and bit her lip, "Ok."

XXXX

Lucy was drinking the hard liquor tonight. She didn't care. Nothing was going the way she wanted it to. She downed her fourth shot and enjoyed the warm feeling of the alcohol on the throat. She really thought she'd be with Lauren right now.

Jasmine swaggered into the bar and up to Lucy. "Oh, honey. Drinking alone?" She touched her shoulder, "Let me join you."

"Ok." Lucy poured a shot for Jasmine, who gladly accepted it.

"So, pretty thing, why are you drinking alone?"

Lucy sighed, "Have you ever been in love with someone, who's in love with someone else? The completely wrong someone else."

Jasmine laughed, "Oh sweetie, that's your first problem, never fall in love. It works for me."

Lucy rested her hands on her chin. "We're perfect for each other. We could be so great. If she could only let go of the past and move on."

"Look, I'm not going to pretend I don't know what you're talking about, so here's some advice: don't get in the middle of that. There's no hope there."

Lucy looked at Jasmine confused, "Aren't you here with Bo, aren't you two lovers?"

Jasmine laughed, "Bo and I just have fun together. There are no feelings involved. Most of the time, we can't stand each other."

"That's sad."

Jasmine shrugged. "I don't want to fall in love, and neither does she, it's perfect I say." Jasmine rubbed low on Lucy's back. "I know what I mean to Bo and I know where her heart lies."

"I don't understand that. How can you let someone use you?"

Jasmine laughed loudly, "Who's being used? I love sex. It works for me."

Lucy put her head on the bar, "How can two people not see how doomed they are together."

Jasmine started massaging Lucy's shoulders, "I'm no romantic and never want to fall in love myself. But I will say that there's something kind of inspiring about two people who found the one other person in the world they can't seem stay away from. It's almost enough to make a girl rethink her position on love…" She grinned widely, "Almost."

 _XXXX_

 _The morning after Dyson's wedding. Bo was getting dressed, trying to at least, she couldn't find her clothes. Things were pretty heated, and she couldn't remember when and how her clothes were removed._

 _Lauren was getting out of the shower._

" _Have you seen my…" Bo gestured wide, "Anything?"_

" _Hmm." Lauren thought, for a moment. "Try under the bed, they might have got pushed under."_

" _Good thought." Bo looked under the bed, and sure enough her clothes were there. "Thanks." She slipped on her clothes. "So…"_

 _Silence filled the room._

 _Bo spoke again, "Last night was…it was great. But happens now?"_

" _What do you mean?"_

 _Bo scoffed and stared at Lauren. "Lauren, what does this mean?"_

" _What's changed in two years?" She sat on the side of the bed, watching Bo. "Are you still taking cases, alone? Being reckless?"_

" _Why don't you trust me to take care of myself?"_

 _Lauren sighed, "That's not what this is about."_

" _Yeah? What is it about because I can't understand any of it."_

 _Lauren was silent. She didn't know how to have the same argument again. They'd done it so many times before. What was there left to say?_

" _This was a mistake. I'm sorry." Lauren got up, abruptly moving away from Bo. "I shouldn't have let that happen. It was my fault."_

" _You don't control everything about our relationship, Lauren. I'm here too."_

" _That's not what I meant." Lauren turned away and fought back the tears burning behind her eyes._

" _Here we are two years later and guess what I'm not dead. I'm taking whatever cases I want, and I'm not dead."_

 _Silence filled the room, that silence that always seemed to follow with these conversations._

" _I have a plane to catch," Lauren said, without looking back at Bo, she left the room._

XXXX

Lauren watched as Bo slipped off her shirt and pants and listened as she heard the sound of the clothes hitting the tile floor.

It was hard not to stare, so she didn't even pretend not to; she just took in the sight of Bo undressing.

Bo finished taking off the rest of her clothes and paused before entering the water, "Are you sure?"

Lauren nodded and felt a shiver run up her spine. She held her breath as Bo settled into the water. She spread her legs so Bo could lean back on her, her soft, firm body resting on top on her.

"Wow, this tub is really big." Bo played with the water with her feet, moving them back and forth. "It kind of reminds me of our old tub, in our house."

"Do you miss it?" Lauren grabbed Bo's hand, tangling their fingers together. "Our house, being married?"

"Everyday." Bo squeezed Lauren's hand.

They sat in silence, enjoying the warm water, the sensations of their bare, wet skin touching.

Lauren opened her mouth to say something then changed her mind, but then changed her mind again, "I'm so sorry, Bo." Lauren's voice shook. "I should have never left. It was a mistake." She trembled slightly, feeling vulnerable at that declaration. She didn't know if now was the right time but she needed to say it.

Bo tilted her head back and looked up at her. "No. It was the right thing. It may have taken awhile, but it did pull me out of my self-destruction." Bo's heart was beating hard in her chest, this discussion never ended well with them and she didn't want to fell back on old habits.

"Still you were my wife, I should have stayed and helped you." Lauren glanced at the wall, not wanting to look at Bo, at the moment.

"You can't help someone, who doesn't want to help themselves. We both handled the situation poorly."

"Yes…" Lauren swallowed hard, still staring at the wall. "But the difference is you got better, and I got worse. I work more now than ever before."

Bo lightly traced her fingers over Lauren's wet arm, watching the water droplets as her finger moved across. "What happened to Kenzi wasn't your fault. You were right not to turn her Fae. It's not what she wanted." She took Lauren's other hand up to her mouth and kissed it. "You have to let go of that guilt. And I'm sorry if I ever made you feel like I blamed you. That was wrong. You did everything you could to save her, I know that."

Lauren shut her eyes and sighed, "It's not that simple. There's something…you don't know...no one knows." Her legs nervously moved up and down under the water. "I didn't want to say anything until after the wedding. I don't want to ruin Charlotte's day."

Bo moved her head to meet Lauren's eyes. "Whatever it is, we'll handle it together this time."

With their gazes now linked, Lauren's face marked with sadness and hope, she leaned in and kissed Bo.

XXXX

Mac had finished setting out her clothes for the next day. She was so excited for the next day's activities, and she wanted to get up and dressed quick and early.

It was so unbelievable how much she missed everyone. How she longed for everyone to be together more. But this was great, and she was going to enjoy it.

She turned on her music as she finished getting into her sleep clothes.

But she stopped suddenly when a sharp pain shot through her head, making her dizzy. She sat on the bed, blinking quickly trying to ease the pain.

After a moment, she decided to take some pain medicine, drink some water and get to bed. She was probably overly excited about everything that was all. After some sleep, she'd feel better.

XXXXX

Bo rose out of the water, and Lauren's eyes followed her. Bo reached down and helped Lauren to her feet. They both stepped out the tub. Bo grabbed a big fluffy white towel and wrapped it around both their naked bodies.

They stood in the middle of the bathroom, hugging, wrapped in a warm towel. The front of their bodies pressed together and both their chest moved up and down.

Bo stroked a finger gently down Lauren's neck, finally resting on her chest. Lauren pushed in for a kiss, goose bumps rising over her body, and not from the cool air hitting her from behind.

They broke apart, and Bo tightened the towel around them. Her lips were on Lauren's neck quickly. She kissed and trailed her tongue down her neck to her shoulder, following the water droplets still on her body. The towel slipped away, but they didn't notice.

Lauren put her hands on Bo's hips and tilted her head to one side as Bo still planted kisses.

Lauren sucked in her breath when Bo drew back and looked into her eyes. She smirked and led Lauren into the bedroom.

Lauren's stomach clenched when Bo eased her down on the bed. They gazed at each other, eyes heavy-lidded. Bo settled firm against Lauren and Lauren wrapped her legs around Bo's waist.

Lauren's arms draped around Bo, and she pulled her into a kiss, it was greedy, intense, feverish.

All of Bo's muscles were tight and sensitive to the touch and she moved her hands up and down the sides of Lauren's body. Her mind focused on every point of contact, Lauren's tongue, hands, her body beneath her.

Bo slowly moved her hand to the inside of Lauren's thigh, finally sliding her fingers deep inside her.

Lauren gripped Bo's head and whispered, "Bo," against her lips. Bo felt the warmth from Lauren's mouth brush against her lip.

Bo pushed back in for another proper kiss, keeping up the pressure of her thrusts. Lauren's whole body was responsive to every touch and caress from Bo.

They bodies still faintly wet from their bath started to coat with sweat as well.

Lauren clasped her grip on Bo as her body tightened in an exquisite burst under the advances of Bo's fingers. She buried her head into Bo's neck, kissing tenderly.

Without warning, Bo fell onto her back on the bed, breathing heavy. With that Lauren was on top of Bo, kissing her way down Bo's chin, neck, stomach.

Bo moaned out as Lauren's decadent tongue entered her deliberately slow. Bo arched forward and held her breath. She brought her hands up and held the headboard with all her strength.

Everything seemed to move in slow motion for Bo, her whole body and mind concentrated on Lauren.

And all that remained were the sounds of heavy breathing, the movement of skin against skin. After they were finished, they fell asleep wrapped together in the warm blankets and the warmth of their bodies.

 _XXXX_

 _Bo spread out on the floor in the empty living room, of the empty house. Noticing cracks on the ceiling and walls that she'd never noticed before._

 _Her phone rang and she checked it but didn't answer it. It was about a new case she was working on._

 _She tossed the phone to the side. She was too tired to deal with that tonight._

 _Charlotte entered the room. "What are you doing?" She sighed not wanting to deal with anything at that moment._

" _I don't know." Bo answered honestly._

" _Where are you going to live now?" Charlotte didn't know if her mother had a plan or not. Maybe she just planned on going from place to place taking cases, she didn't know._

" _I don't know…" And that was the truth, she didn't._

* * *

 ** _AN_**

 ** _Hello again,_**

 ** _I realize that the flashbacks are focusing mostly on Bo and that's by design. There will be more of Lauren's POV coming up soon._**

 ** _Thanks for reading :)_**


	13. Chapter 13

XXXXX

Bo tiptoed toward the door to answer it. She'd ordered breakfast for her and Lauren and wanted it be a surprise.

She put her finger up to her lips, signaling for the room service attendant to be quiet and gestured for him to enter.

After he unloaded the food, she tipped him, and he left.

She made their plates and waited for Lauren to come out of the bedroom.

Still waking up, Lauren stepped into the room, she grinned at Bo, "What's this?"

"Good morning," Bo walked up to Lauren and leaned close, eyes gleaming. "I made you breakfast," She smirked, "Well, I ordered it all least."

Lauren lightly kissed Bo, "It smells great. I'm starving." Lauren pushed her hair back from her face.

"I bet." Bo pulled a chair out for Lauren to sit in, kissing the top of her head as she sat down.

Lauren tilted her head and glanced at Bo with a meaningful grin, "So…" She started after a pause.

"So…" Bo repeated, taking her seat across from Lauren.

They both took a drink of their coffee at the same time. They both seemed to be pausing the conversation to let the other begin it.

Tension was beginning to build between them, the tension of the unsaid.

"Mac wanted to explore some of the island today. Would you like to join us?" Bo decided to start there and see where the conversation went.

Lauren nodded, "Sure… well," She stopped thinking through the day, "I have to talk with Ethan first."

"About what?" Bo asked.

"Work," Lauren said before she started eating her eggs. "You know that new lab I'm building, or I should say planning on building."

Bo swallowed her food and nodded. "Oh, yeah."

Silence followed, and they both ate their breakfast without speaking.

Bo began, finally, and eyed Lauren pointedly, "What happens when we leave here?"

Lauren put down her fork and sighed, "Honestly, Bo, I don't know."

Bo frowned, and stomach lunged before asking, "Are we going to start moving forward?"

"I'd like to but…" Lauren trailed off and lapsed into silence.

Bo studied her face. She knew there was no point trying to press her, so she spoke again, "I want to be happy, Lauren." She held in a quick breath. "I want to be happy with you. I want it all, the ups, the downs, the good, the bad. Our house. Our life. Us." She glanced down at the table, her mind flickering with various thoughts, "What do you want?" Her voice turned soft at the end.

Lauren rubbed in between her eyes and thought for a moment. "I want that, also, I do more than anything, but,"

Bo sensed Lauren seemed to be having some kind of inner battle, but she peered at her over her coffee mug and smirked, "Well that's a start, right? We know we both want the same thing. That's good, right?"

Lauren narrowed her eyebrows, and she looked as if she was making a decision, "Right. It's a start."

They held smiles on each other until there was a knock at the door.

Lauren wrapped her robe tightly around her and went to answer, and Bo stayed at the table eating more breakfast.

"Ethan." Lauren opened the door wide for him to enter. "You're here early."

"I know sorry." He walked into the room quickly and stopped when he saw Bo at the table eating.

"Morning," She said, briefly turning her head to greet him.

He smiled and bounced his eyes between them. "I can come back later."

Lauren shook her head, "No that's ok. Join us. Have some breakfast."

There was no argument he just joined them. They spent the remainder of the early morning, the three of them, eating breakfast and chatting.

 _XXXX_

 _Bo dropped the last of her boxes down and stared around the apartment. She couldn't believe this is where she ended up, but she was determined to make some changes, and this seemed like a great place to do that._

 _Charlotte walked in carrying a box, a small box. "This place smells funny. How long has it been empty?"_

 _Bo rested her hands on her hips and looked around, "25 or so years. It's been empty since Trick died."_

" _It smells like old books and something else I can't quite place. Are you sure you want to live here?" Charlotte wiped her hands on her pants and wrinkled her nose._

 _Bo nodded. "I think this is where I need to be right now."_

" _Well, if it's what you want then ok. I'll help you get it," She brushed her hand over some dust, "cleaned up."_

" _Thanks, sweetie." Bo wrapped her arms around Charlotte's shoulder and kissed her cheek._

" _Are you going to start working here, at the Dal, running it?"_

" _That's my plan."_

XXXX

After Bo left Lauren's, she headed straight for Mac's room. She knocked a few times on the door and waited.

Mac woke up left, and she still had a headache. She was brushing her teeth when she heard a knock on her hotel room door. She rubbed her hands over her face, trying to relieve some of the pressure on her head. She heard another knock and rushed off to answer it.

Bo stood smiling wide when Mac answered, "Hey, kid. Can I come in?"

"Sure," She opened the door, "I woke up late."

Bo patted her shoulder as she entered, "That's ok, you're on vacation. There's no need to worry about getting up early."

She grimaced, briefly, then it cleared back into a smile, "That's true," Mac sat on the edge of her bed watching Bo. "Are you excited for tomorrow?"

Bo nodded, "I am. As long as Charlotte doesn't have a meltdown," Bo smirked playfully at Mac, "Or at least too many meltdowns."

Mac laughed, "You should come to New York, sometime."

Bo frowned and took a seat next to Mac.

"There are so many great things to see and do. We could have a lot of fun."

"I definitely will."

"Lauren's shown me so many things around the city. She knows a lot. She makes everything sound so interesting."

Bo laughed, "That she does." Bo watched Mac's face and thought, briefly, that she looked sad or pained, "Do you see Lauren frequently?"

"I used to. But she's busy. She's paying for my private school, and she gave my father a job. She does a lot for us."

"I'm glad you have her. I'm so sorry I haven't been around, as much as I should."

Their eyes met, "Don't be sorry, Aunt Bo, you do everything you can. I know that."

"No," Bo took her hand and squeezed, "I could do more and I will."

Mac leaned into Bo and rested her head on her, and Bo ran her fingers through her hair.

XXXX

"Misty, you know how I like my hair and make-up," Charlotte sat straight in the chair as her hair was being done.

"What size is this jacket?" Jon asked standing in front of the mirror, his jacket was a little tight.

"Oh god, don't tell me it doesn't fit!" Charlotte was going to be bloody furious if his tux didn't fit. She was ready to explode into a rage.

Jon tried to pull the jacket out, to loosen it. "Might need to be let out a bit."

Charlotte sighed and focused on calming her nerves, "I told you not to eat so much," she mumbled.

Jon inched over to her, "It'll be fine. Tomorrow we'll be married! It's a great day."

Charlotte traced over the large engagement ring on her finger. She smiled lovely at him, "It just has to be perfect. For the three of us. It's our first step into our new beginning as a family."

He bent down and kissed her stomach. "It will be perfect," He glanced up at her misty-eyed, "I'm so happy."

"Me too." She said and kissed his forehead.

 _XXXX_

 _Lauren read over the contract while her lawyers sat, silently, beside her._

 _Dr. Allen watched her. She noted how beautiful she looked. She just, for whatever reason, couldn't take her eyes off her. "You're about to be a very rich woman, Dr. Lewis, how does it feel?" She asked, wanting to fill the silence of the room with something. Also, she was curious about Lauren._

" _I don't care about money. I care about science." Lauren responded her tone wasn't harsh just distracted._

 _Dr. Allen smiled at her, "Noble, of course, but money doesn't hurt. You can do a lot of good with your millions."_

 _Lauren didn't answer she kept her head down reading, diligently. She knew how these legal documents work, and she wanted to make sure her family wouldn't get cut out of their share, should something happen to her._

 _Hours later, the lawyers left and the documents were all signed, and Lauren and Lucy were left alone at the large conference table._

" _I've admired your work for a long time, Lauren. Do you mind if I call you Lauren?" Which was true, she did admire Lauren's work, but she also wanted to compliment her._

" _Lauren's fine." She answered, she was fatigued from spending hours reading legal documents, it was draining._

 _Lucy laced her fingers together on the table and asked, "So, do you have any plans tonight? I thought we could get a drink or something. I'd love to pick your brain about a few things." This was the start of their new adventure together, as business partners, and Dr. Allen wanted to get to know Lauren better._

 _Lauren, however, was tired and wanted to go home but she knew she should go and have a drink. It might seem rude to decline after Lucy had just paid millions of dollars to buy half her company._

 _So, Lauren looked at her and checked her phone, "Sure, I'll check my schedule."_

" _Great," Lucy said, grinning broadly._

XXXXX

Ethan hoped Lauren was ok. She looked tired, too tired for someone who was on vacation. He observed her movements as she gathered up some papers and headed over to him.

Why was he so protective of her? He didn't know. Maybe it was something that developed slowly over time or maybe it was from watching her work so hard over the years. She both inspired and frustrated the hell out of him. He wished he could be more like her but at the same time didn't.

She smiled, sweetly at him and laid the papers out in front of him. "Thanks for coming to talk with me."

He nodded.

"Well, I know you don't think I heard you, before, but I heard you when you said you wanted to travel. So, I came up with this." She waved her hand over the plans on the table.

He scowled and reached out and took the papers. "A new lab?" He asked after having read over them.

"Yes in Paris. For you to run."

"You'd do all this for me? Just because I said I wanted to travel?" He was in shock that she would do this.

"I want you to be happy." She answered sincerely.

He was silent and stared at the plans for a long pause, "Are you sick?" He looked up at her and was unable to read her expression. "Is there something wrong with your serum?"

She tilted her head in a questioning gesture, "Where's this coming from?"

He leaned back, folding his arms across his chest, "Come on, ma. You've been acting off this whole trip. Obsessing, more than normal, about work."

She sighed, "Well I don't think that's true."

He arched his eyebrow and gave her a knowing look.

"No. I'm not sick. I'm perfectly healthy." She squeezed his knee. "Don't worry about me."

He held a quick breath and felt a rush of relief. Could the three of them handle losing Lauren? He didn't think so. Not now and not anytime soon.

She continued, "I'm actually, in the preliminary stages, of a new stronger serum." She paused, holding back from saying too much, "but that'll have to be put on hold now."

He quickly took a glimpse at the pile of papers, "Because of the new lab?" He would feel so much guilt if his mom stopped working on something for herself because of him.

"No. Not because of that. It's just…" Again, she paused and held back.

"You don't have to carry all the burdens of the world on your shoulders alone. You have a family, let us help take off some of that weight."

Lauren struggled, internally, about how much to tell him. "I don't want to ruin the wedding. This is Charlotte's time."

"So don't have a big announcement to everyone. Just share it with me. I can take it without freaking out or ruining the wedding."

She didn't say anything for a long time, and Ethan thought the conversation was over, but then she did speak. "It's about Mac."

His stomach dropped, knowing where this conversation was leading.

"Before we left I found out…" She stopped, "I really thought we had a cure, we were so close," she injected more to herself than to him. "She's ill. She's in the very early stages but…" She trailed off, then continued, "And my fear is it's…because it's starting when she's so young." She paused, again gathering her thoughts, "I don't know how much time we have."

He clenched his jaw to suppress the sick feeling in his stomach. "Isn't catching this early a good thing? We don't have a cure, but we've been working on a treatment to slow down the effects."

"Which is largely untested. Do I give a 15-year-old girl an untested drug?"

"There are no easy answers when it comes to medicine, as you know, but you have our support, all of us. Mac too."

She wiped her hands nervously down her jeans. "Let's not say anything to Charlotte or your mom until after the wedding, ok?"

He nodded. "Agreed. It's best to wait."

XXXX

Lucy was hurriedly getting dressed. She hoped she wouldn't wake Jasmine. How did she end up sleeping with her? She rolled her eyes at herself. She was here for Lauren, not some random Fae.

"Where are you going, sweet cheeks?" Jasmine woke stretching her body out long.

"I need to go," Lucy answered, her tone harsh.

"What's the rush?" Jasmine snuggled up into the blankets, "This bed is so comfortable."

Lucy glared at her, "I don't want Bo coming back and finding me here. She'd tell Lauren for sure."

Jasmine sat up, "And why would Lauren care who you have sex with?"

"I care what Lauren thinks of me." She pulled on her pants. "I have to show her, how perfect we are together. And how wrong Bo is. I love Lauren, don't I deserve a chance to make her happy. Bo had her chance."

Jasmine put her hand over her eyes, "Girl, you need to start moving on. I'm telling you."

Lucy turned to look at her, "You could help me." She leaned close to her, "Distract Bo for me. Just for a while. Only long enough for me to get Lauren alone." She kept her voice low, trying to be seductive.

Jasmine shook her head, "No. I'm here for fun. I'm not getting in the middle of some drama. I'll gladly ruffle Bo's feathers, but that's where it ends for me."

"Fine." Lucy stood quickly, "I'll do it myself."

Jasmine watched her leave, why can't people relax and have fun, she wondered. Then, she went back to sleep.

XXXX

To keep his mind busy, Ethan went to his room to workout. He was doing vigorous push-ups. Somehow, he always knew this day would and could come like it was inevitable, but it didn't make it any easier.

Everything went so wrong, last time his family had dealt with this, and now here they were again.

Gus entered the room and stared as Ethan continued his workout.

"What are doing?" Gus asked as he watched Ethan pump harder and harder.

"Just clearing my head."

"Mmm. Preparing yourself for your discussion with Lauren?" He chanced.

"No, we already talked," Ethan answered, trying to keep his breathing steady at his fast pace. "I'm not going anywhere. I'm not leaving the business."

Gus scoffed. "Lost your nerve?"

"No, I've made a decision to stay. My mom needs me, right now. No, my family needs me."

Gus rolled his eyes, "When does she not? Can you stop that and look at me?" Gus was getting angry. This is one of the ways Ethan seemed to ignore conversations.

Ethan stopped and sat up straight. "She needs me. We make sacrifices in my family for each other, and I'm no different. Family first."

"So, you'll continue working where you don't want to because of what? Guilt? Aren't you doing what Lauren does?" Every time Ethan was close to leaving there always was another reason to stay, this seemed no different.

"I would be more unhappy abandoning my mom, now, when there's so much going on." Ethan stood up abruptly and got a drink of water. "Another thing I don't think we should see each other anymore." Ethan knew this decision wasn't a mistake, he didn't even know if he liked Gus anymore.

"What?" Gus gasped out he was taken back by the turn of events.

They stared at each other, for a moment.

"You're serious." He couldn't believe Ethan was ending things, over this.

Ethan nodded. "We don't see the world the same way. And I need to start making some changes."

Gus threw his hands into the air, "You are unreal!" He started quickly collecting all his things.

Gus left the room without saying another word to Ethan.

Ethan felt relaxed after getting that over with then he remembered Mac and his whole body tensed, again.

 _XXXXX_

 _Lauren didn't sleep the night after she'd sold half her company. She woke up every few minutes with her mind racing. She would make herself some water and stare off at the city lights. But she didn't sleep. Not at all._

 _By three a.m. she stayed out of bed, not trying to sleep anymore. She decided to work. If she couldn't sleep, she'd work._

 _It felt so odd to her, to be a millionaire, many times over, just like that. It was overwhelming. A tiny part of her wondered if she was taking on too much, if it wasn't better to continue working in a smaller lab without all the added distractions. But Dr. Allen was right more money meant being able to do more. That was just a fact of the world._

 _By four a.m. her eyes lingered on her phone, she pondered calling Bo. She knew she wouldn't. They didn't speak these days. A few emails, here and there, but that was it. Maybe it was for the best, but then again maybe not. She had no answers._

 _By five a.m. she decided to get ready for work. Today was an important day. Mac was coming to the lab for blood work. She monitored Mac's health as much as she could while letting the girl live her life and not scare her. But she worried it wasn't enough, that she could be doing more._

 _Before heading out the door for the day, her hand clutched her phone. She thought about calling Bo, one more time, but the thought passed, and she went to work._

* * *

 **AN**

 **I just wanted to thank everyone again for reading and leaving comments!**

 **Also, I believe someone asked how Trick and Tamsin died and I'll probably not address that in the story as it was years before and not really relevant to the current story.**


	14. Chapter 14

Charlotte's heart pounded, a little, as she stood in front of the mirror. Her long gown was trailing behind her. Her first thought was about how fantastic she looked. Well, she did. Her second thought was panic. Tomorrow she would be married.

She'd wanted to be married, as long as she could remember. Why? Probably her parents, she had been chasing what they had all her life. Watching two people so intensely in love her whole life, made her crave that for herself for some reason.

As she started having relationships, she learned, what they had was a rare thing. Not everyone would find that. Maybe not everyone was meant to.

She loved Jon, but would she spend five years longing for him from afar? Would she give up everything for him? She didn't know. She'd like to think so, but…

Her parents were maddening to her, just be together if that's what they wanted. Why the dance? Why keep hurting each other?

She often thought of her parents as a hurricane. They stood in the center, where it was calm and normal while everyone else suffered the destruction on the outside.

Was that type of love worth it, seeing how much they tortured themselves over it, it didn't seem to be, at least not to her. But with her pregnancy she started to see her parents in a new light. She wanted them happy, and they were never happy apart. They proved that. Maybe not to themselves but everyone else around them could see it. Nothing made sense when they weren't together, nothing fit.

When her mother left with Ethan, her whole world was turned upside down. She lost a mother, a brother-her best friend. She had to watch, alone and helpless, as her other mother self-destructed. But it was time to move on from that, everyone needed to move on. To heal. Her child deserved to be born into a happy and together family.

They had been broken long enough. It was time for some happiness, for all of them.

She slanted her head to the side and looked at herself, she really did look amazing in this dress. But something was slightly off.

"Misty! Come there's something wrong with my dress!" She shouted.

 _XXXXX_

 _Why was she torturing herself? She didn't need to watch these videos again. She couldn't help it._

 _Bo sat, alone, on her bed playing the videos again._

 _She watched, as Lauren was asleep with a twin on each side. A book spread across her lap. Bo didn't even remember filming this, but clearly she had. Lauren opened her eyes and grinned, "What are you doing?" She whispered, not wanting to wake the babies. Bo said something that couldn't be heard and Lauren smiled. Bo paused the video on Lauren's smile._

 _She switched to the next video. Lauren had a twin of each hip and was dancing around the kitchen. She was baking or something. Was it someone's birthday? Bo couldn't remember. Lauren kissed a pair of chubby cheeks and twirled them around. Each baby, along with Lauren, laughed with delight._

" _Bo…" Kenzi voice came across the video, and her face popped into the frame._

 _Bo shut the video off, immediately. She was done watching those videos._

XXXX

Lauren rested her chin on her hands and studied the paperwork. She thought if she looked at it long enough she'd see something new. Some missing piece, but that wasn't happening. She needed to get back to New York and her lab. That was clear.

She got up from her chair stretching out. She knew she needed to spend time with the family. Soon, she'd be home, and there'd be time to work. This was her daughter's wedding. She needed to get out of her head and enjoy it. But it was difficult, Mac might not have much time left. She needed to figure something out quickly.

Lucy stopped her in the hallway before she could reach her room to put her things away.

"Lauren can I talk to you?" Lucy asked, dancing her eyes over Lauren's face.

"Of course." Lauren looked at her with a warm smile. She didn't want there to be any awkwardness between them. Their working relationship was too important.

Although, in the end, that was probably foolish, feelings returned or not always changed relationships.

She almost wished Lucy hadn't said anything. It would be easier. She never could return those feelings.

Lucy cleared her throat, "It might be hard to hear."

Lauren stiffened and thought it was more bad news from home.

"It's about Bo." She said after a pause.

"Bo?" Lauren asked, and stared at her confused.

Lucy leaned closer to her, "I saw her with Jasmine. I think they slept together, this morning." It was a lie, but it could be true Lucy didn't know.

Lauren continued to look at her, not bothering to hide her confusion. "So?"

Lucy snorted she didn't except that. "You're not upset?" Her stomach swooped when she thought that maybe Lauren was done with Bo. Maybe their conversation had made her see things differently.

"Honestly, I'm confused about why you think I would be upset and why you're telling me this."

"I thought you should know since you seem to have feelings for her still." Lucy gave Lauren an apologetic look.

"I do." Lauren started and didn't change her expression, "But Bo and I aren't together. And even if we were Bo's a succubus. She'll always need to feed."

"Don't you ever get tired of sharing her?" Lucy asked, not trying to be cruel, just to get Lauren to realize the truth about Bo.

"There are different rules when you love a succubus. There just are. Do you think that I would have stayed with Bo all those years if I thought her feeding meant she didn't love me?" Lauren was starting to get upset. She didn't need to justify this to anyone. This was between her and Bo no one else's opinion mattered.

Lucy brought her lips up to Lauren's ear, "You would never need to share me, Lauren. You could have all of my body, heart, and soul. If you'd just take it." She purred into Lauren's ear.

She put her hands on Lauren's hips, then she took the side of Lauren's face and pulled her into a kiss. She wouldn't let Lauren say no without showing her what she'd be missing.

At the same time, Bo rounded the corner. She was searching for Lauren, so they could go explore the island with Mac.

She froze, taking in the sight of Lauren and Lucy kissing. Quickly, she flipped around and headed in the other direction, a scowl across her face.

Lauren pushed Lucy off her, her hands firm on her shoulders. "You have to stop kissing me." She stepped away from her, "This is not going to happen. I'm sorry."

Lauren walked away and closed the door to her room behind her.

 _XXXX_

 _Lauren watched as the sun rose over the high buildings, coffee in hand. She needed to get to work, but her-guest was still sleeping._

 _She didn't want to be rude and kick her out, but their night together was over, and she hated it when they wanted to stay. Didn't anyone have casual sex these days? She wondered with a sigh._

 _Share a night together, and move on that's what she wanted, nothing more. Maybe it was unkind, she didn't know. She always thought she was upfront about her intentions but by morning they always wanted to talk, get her phone number, plan a date. Perhaps, they thought she was playing hard to get. Who knows. She wasn't, she didn't want more than this._

 _But she wasn't rude, she'd offer her breakfast and call her driver to take her anywhere she wanted to go. Talk if she wanted but she'd be clear that last night was only a one off. She had to be._

 _She turned and smiled as her beautiful guest walked from the bedroom, yawning._

" _Good morning," She said to her in a friendly voice._

XXXX

Bo and Mac started off to walk around the island, without Lauren.

"Should we wait for Lauren?" Mac asked she felt so much better. Her headache was gone and only a distant memory now.

"I'm not sure how long she'll be," Bo said, sweetly. But on the inside she couldn't help but feel hurt, sad and confused. But Mac didn't need to know that.

"Shoot." Mac was disappointed. She loved spending time with Lauren, and she knew Lauren would point out cool and interesting things during their hike. But she was happy to get to spend time with Bo- it was a rare thing.

Lauren rushed up to them, "Leaving without me?" She asked, and grinned wide at them.

"No way," Mac hugged her around the waist, tight.

"You were late," Bo said not meeting her eyes.

"Really," Lauren checked the time, "Sorry, I didn't know what time you were leaving."

"It's no problem." Mac led the way, and Bo quickly followed behind her, so she didn't have to talk to Lauren, alone.

As Bo let her mind roll over the image of Lauren kissing Lucy, she squeezed her hand tight, to soothe her nerves. She didn't want to ruin this outing for Mac, but she so confused. She was ready to move forward, with Lauren, but what did Lauren really want.

Tension flowed between Lauren and Bo with Mac being unaware. Mac was walking quickly and listening to whatever tidbits of information Lauren offered.

Even though Lauren was having a great time with Mac, she could tell something was off with Bo. Bo avoided looking at her and for the most part speaking to her.

"Wow, this island is so beautiful," Mac's eyes flickered dreamily as she stared over the cliff out into the ocean.

"It really is," Bo squeezed her shoulder.

"Charlotte sure does know how to plan a wedding right." Her mouth was fixed with that sweet, bright smile. She was so happy she thought she might float away. This week had been the most extraordinary week, ever.

Lauren laughed. "Be sure to tell her that." Lauren tried to meet Bo's eyes, but Bo was avoiding all her glances.

"I want to get married someplace like this one day."

Lauren stood stiff and squeezed her other shoulder, "I'm sure you will." She said, fighting back tears.

The three of them stood for a long time, just looking at the scenery.

 _XXXX_

 _Bo paced up and down the dock with her wedding ring in her hand. She was losing her nerve. She'd come here determined to throw the bloody thing into the water. But she paused and so far couldn't do it._

 _Why was she keeping it? It only symbolized everything she'd lost. How could she move on with the damn thing sitting in a drawer at home?_

 _She waved her hand, the hand that clutched the ring, into the air, but she didn't let go of it._

 _She passed the ring from hand to hand, her mind lost in memories. Lauren slipping it onto her finger, on their wedding day, and then lightly kissing it after. Lauren holding her hand and playing with it as they watched a movie. Charlotte, almost losing it when she'd taken it off to do the dishes, she'd wanted to wear it, is what a tiny Charlotte had said. And Bo couldn't be mad about that. Luckily, they found it quickly._

 _So many memories wrapped up in one tiny ring._

 _Bo sighed and stared at the ring in her hand but paused again, still unsure about what to do with it. She stood tapping her finger thoughtfully over the ring in her palm, her eyes on the water._

XXXX

Ethan was half awake, lying on the bed. After everything he just wanted to sleep. His stomach hurt and his mind was racing.

So many conflicting thoughts and emotions were crowding his head. He put his arm over his eyes to block out the light.

He was trying to process it all. But persistent discomfort crept through him. This is why he wanted to quit his job, to go away. He, sometimes, couldn't take the pressure. The stress. How did his mother handle it all? In truth, he loved the work but hated the pressure.

So many people were counting on him, and he didn't want to disappoint anyone, so lately he just had this urgent need to run away from it.

But it wasn't fair he couldn't avoid it. For the first time, in a long time, he was ready to take on the challenges and be strong.

At that moment, he made a decision, he wouldn't lay here wallowing, he wouldn't run and he wouldn't let anything happen to Mac.

And he would make sure Charlotte had her perfect wedding, she deserved that, he climbed out of bed and went to find his sister.

 _XXXXX_

 _Ethan couldn't believe his mom had left him waiting at the bar for an hour. A few minutes late, she had said. Ha. That was funny._

 _The following morning, they had a new project starting, and they were meeting here to go over a few things. He knew exactly what she would say: she got distracted at the lab. It was always the same._

 _He absentmindedly played with the drink in his hand, waiting._

 _Twenty minutes later, Lauren entered the bar. Ethan spotted her rushing over, and he rolled his eyes._

 _She took a seat with an innocent smile, "Sorry, I got-"_

" _I know." He cut her off._

 _Lauren scanned his face, trying to read his mood and she decided against offering excuses. "Do you want to get a table?"_

" _I'm not hungry." He said at last._

 _She reached into her bag and pulled out a file, and he noticed the ring on her finger._

" _Why do you wear your wedding ring?" he asked, keeping his tone soft._

 _Lauren held her breath, her defenses going up, "I don't want to be bothered while I'm out." She handed him the file from her bag._

" _Ok. But you could wear any ring, why that one?" He quickly glanced at the file but didn't read it._

 _She was visibly getting tense at the questions. "What are you asking me?"_

 _He shrugged, "I was only curious as to why out of all the rings in the world, you wear that ring."_

 _She glanced at her watch, "You know what let's get out of here and finish this meeting tomorrow."_

 _He stared at her, truth be told he didn't want to push her. He was ok with her derailment of the conversation. He knew why she wore that particular ring._

XXXX

"Looks like Charlotte wants us to go try on our dresses," Bo said, reading her phone.

"Oh, fun. I can't wait to see everyone all glammed up." Mac ran into the hotel.

Lauren grabbed Bo's arm. "Can we talk first?" She wanted to clear the air. And find out what was bothering Bo.

Bo frowned and took a deep breath.

Lauren slid her fingers down Bo's arms and clasped their fingers together and squeezed tight. "Bo, are you mad at me? We left things…I mean last time we talked everything was fine."

For a moment, Bo was silent, and she gently rubbed Lauren's fingers.

"No, I'm not mad," Bo said, her voice strained.

Lauren looked at Bo uncertainly. "But…"

"I'm not upset." She looked behind Lauren, her eyes needed to be somewhere else. "I'm not jealous. I realize you're single. We're not together."

She couldn't help but look back at Lauren. And Lauren stared back at her, her eyebrows narrowed, "but I wish you could be honest with me about what your feelings for Dr. Allen are."

Lauren yanked her hand away from Bo, "When was I not honest?"

Bo thrust her now free fingers into her hair pushing her hair back, "After all these years, I don't want to be stung along."

"And that's what you think I'm doing?" Lauren's throat was getting so tight, she almost couldn't get the words out. She couldn't believe what Bo was saying. Why now? Only a few hours ago, things were moving forward with them.

"I don't know what you're doing," Bo said forcefully, "You won't tell me why you're hesitant about us. And then I see you kissing someone else. What am I supposed to think?"

Lauren tightened her jaw. "Maybe trust me when I say that I'm not interested in her. But that things are complicated right now." Lauren answered defensively, hurt and indignation taking her over.

Silence filled in around them.

Bo can't help but lash out, she answered hotly, "Or how about you trust me and tell me what's happening."

Lauren looked at Bo bewildered. "It's not about trust."

Bo felt tears rising, "Then what is it about?"

Ethan stepped outside, "Moms?"

They turned away from each other and looked at him.

"Charlotte is desperate to get started." Ethan's eyes whirled searching both his mother's eyes. He could sense something was going on by their expressions.

They nodded and followed him inside, silent.

XXXX

Charlotte was trying not to get upset, but why were her parents taking so long to get there. She, even, had to send Ethan to go find them. They were really trying to test this new-relaxed Charlotte, pushing her.

They entered the room, and she glared at them, "Finally," She muttered. She did note how they settled on opposite sides of the room. Here we go. They're fighting. She thought crossly. It was typical really.

"You look so gorgeous, Mac," Mac had walked into the room, in her dress and grabbed Charlotte's attention.

The whole room erupted in a sea of compliments to Mac. She smiled at the ground, her cheeks reddening.

Charlotte handed her a cluster of roses, "You need these. You are beautiful enough to be the bride. I can't compete."

"Thanks, Charlie."

Bo withdrew from the group and stood by the table, in the back of the room, that had drinks and food spread across it. She wasn't in the mood to try on her dress. She poured herself a drink and leaned back against the wall watching the group interactions.

"Yeah, Mac you look amazing," Mark gave her a huge hug, and her face blushed brighter.

Jasmine sauntered slowly to join Bo in the back of the room.

"What are you doing here? You're not in the wedding party."

"If there are free drinks and food I'm there," She winked at Bo, pouring herself two glasses. "So, any plans with the irresistible Dr. Lewis tonight?" She asked casually while sipping her first drink.

Bo's stance changed, and she remained silent. She was not about to tell Jasmine about anything.

Bo noticed Lauren briefly glance back at her over her shoulder.

"Why so glum, Bo?"

Bo rolled her eyes and finished her drink, quickly pouring another.

"Oh Bo," Jasmine paused struggling with herself about whether to press Bo's buttons or reassure her. "That hottie hot Dr. Allen asked me to help her keep you away from Lauren." Fine, she'd be nice today. At the very least, she and Bo had a friendly relationship. She didn't want to see her genuinely in pain-that was no fun.

Bo stared at her.

Jasmine shrugged, poured another drink, "Watch that one, she's determined and planning something."

Bo's whole demeanor changed, and she studied Lauren from behind. Lauren felt eyes on her and peered over her shoulder to find Bo looking at her. She smiled briefly-then her face tightened, and she turned away.

Bo took another drink.

Lauren's eyes gazed over Mac's smiling face, and she made a decision. She had to tell Bo about Mac. It was time. Bo deserved to know. She couldn't protect her family from this any longer.


	15. Chapter 15

_XXXXX_

" _What makes you happy, Ms. Dennis?" The small balding man sitting across the room from her asked. Holding a clipboard firm in his hand._

" _How can I answer that? Aren't you supposed to be helping me?"_

 _The next week…_

" _What makes you happy, Ms. Dennis?" He repeated like he did every session._

" _Is this the only question you can ask? I don't know, puppies, sunsets?"_

 _Bo sighed regretting her decision to start these sessions, with this infuriating man. What was the point in asking the same question over and over again?_

 _The next week…_

" _What makes you happy, Ms. Dennis?"_

 _Bo rolled her eyes, that same question again. Maddening._

" _I don't even think you're a real therapist. You only say one thing! Maybe your goal is to make your patients crazy, so they keep coming back."_

 _This guy was clearly a hack, she thought._

 _A few minutes later…_

" _What-" He started to repeat._

" _What's it matter it's gone?" She retorted, fuming._

" _What makes you happy, what do you want?" He narrowed his gaze at her and repeated his question._

" _My family. Lauren. OK? That's what makes me happy. That's what I want." She, finally, answered honestly._

 _He slammed his hand on his clipboard. "Great, let's start from there."_

XXXXX

"Well, it's great to see that all of you still fit into your outfits." Charlotte addressed the group. She grinned in astonishment. She couldn't believe that everything was going so smoothly, that is after her parent's late arrival. She could practically see how perfect and beautiful the following day would be, and her heart soared.

She didn't even think her parent's hot and cold interactions would ruin tomorrow. How could it? So far, they'd kept their drama to themselves.

Mac stood proudly, looking at everyone in their formal wear. "Wow. This is a good looking family."

Charlotte nodded. "Yes, the pictures will be perfect. Everyone here is so photogenic. We're lucky not to have any unfortunate looking family members."

"Charlotte, really?" Ethan shook his head and laughed. "Like that's what's important?"

Charlotte scoffed and examined her fingernails, to make sure they looked flawless for tomorrow. "One oddball can always ruin a beautiful photo! That's all I'm saying. I'm not being rude."

"Nope not rude at all." Ethan patted her shoulder.

"Anyway," Charlotte glared at him. "About tomorrow everyone needs to be up super early. On time, no late stragglers." She regarded the group with as much authority as she could muster. "I'll be too busy worrying about herself to worry about all of you. So, I'm trusting everyone to be responsible."

She paused, waiting for their replies of agreement when none came, she added. "Let's not forget whose day it is, huh?"

Ethan bit his tongue, his sister had her own way of dealing with stress and being overbearing was part of her process.

Ethan spotted Lauren slumped in a chair across the room, her fingers danced across her forehead, and she looked a million miles away. He had thought opening up to him about Mac might have made her feel better, but clearly that was not the case. She appeared to be more distraught than ever.

He sighed, what was he going to do with the women in his life? He turned to Bo, she leaned back against the wall, looking angry, actively avoiding Lauren's direction.

When Charlotte was done, with her instructions and reminders about the early start in the morning, she turned to the group, one more time, "Off to bed." She commanded, and clapped her hands together forcefully.

Lauren sat hoping she could get Bo's attention after everyone left, but it seemed Bo had a different plan, she was the first one gone.

When Ethan walked by Lauren, he said, "Get some sleep, ma. Tomorrow's a big day."

She smiled and nodded.

Lauren stayed behind after everyone was gone, her stomach in a tight knot. If she could just figure out the right words to say to Bo about the situation maybe it would be easier. She honestly didn't believe that. Mac, was Bo's last connection to Kenzi, hearing this news might be too much for her to take.

But she had to. This was a pain Bo would have to face, eventually.

She willed herself to her feet and walked from the empty room.

 _XXXX_

 _Mac took a seat on the hospital bed, watching Lauren work. "What's this for?" She asked her nose wrinkled in confusion._

 _Lauren twisted her head and smiled at her. "I only need a small blood sample. It won't hurt."_

 _Mac nodded. "Ok, Lauren. I trust you." She glanced down at her fingers. "Do you think I have what my mom had?" Her throat tightening as she asked the question._

 _Lauren grabbed her hand. "So far, you are perfectly healthy. But I will be honest with you, there is always a chance." Lauren inserted the needle to take her blood. "We just need to watch your health." She pulled the needle out. "But there's no reason why you should worry about it." She paused. "Live your life. Be happy. That's all you can control."_

" _You'll save me, if I am sick. You're really smart." She smiled wide at Lauren, blinking innocently. "I'm not afraid. I have you."_

 _Lauren's stomach dropped, and she forced a smile. Her eyes danced around the room, and needing something to do, she balled up a piece of plastic to off sent her nerves and threw it into the trashcan._

" _Have you visited Bo, recently?" Lauren asked, she was in need of a subject change._

 _Mac's face fell, and her eyes landed on the floor. "Well, my trip to visit was canceled. She said maybe on my next break I could visit."_

 _Lauren nodded, kindly. She reached into her bag and pulled out the brochures she had, and handed them to Mac. "This is the school I was telling you about."_

 _Mac's head jerked up, and she grinned widely, her eyes sparkling. "Thanks, Lauren!" She took the brochure eagerly._

 _Lauren watched her read over them, with a sad, resigned smile._

XXXX

Bo burst out the door into the night air, a wave of warm, dry air surrounding her. Why was this so hard? Why couldn't they just get on the same page? Why was it always one thing after another with them?

She kicked off her shoes and headed to the beach, the white sand, a cool contrast to the warm air around her. She strolled along the beach, willing her mind to quiet, to block out all the thoughts swirling around.

She didn't think Lauren was playing games with her, when they were together, she could feel that Lauren's feelings and words were sincere.

That upset her more, knowing Lauren felt the same but still resisted.

She stopped midway down the beach and dropped down, burying her feet into the fine sand.

She thought, briefly, about ripping her clothes off and diving into the ocean. The warm water could help her relax, but she decided against it. It might appear, as if, she was slipping back into old patterns, being reckless.

She'd come too far, worked too hard, to have her family think she couldn't handle things, that she was self-destructing.

That wasn't her anymore. Kenzi's death had broken her, in a lot of ways, but that was the past. She was different now. She could feel it. She had a great family, all of them, and she would never do anything again to lose that, even if things didn't work out with Lauren.

 _XXXX_

 _Bo stood at the edge of the Dal, along with a red-haired Fae, who had just strolled up to join her. The woman crept closer and closer to her until, finally, she was standing almost brushing her body against Bo's arm._

" _What's your name, you pretty thing?" The red head asked, and carelessly started stroking Bo's arm._

" _Bo," Bo answered and stepped away, so her arm was out of reach._

" _Bo? The owner Bo? Well, well that is interesting." She cocked her head and looked Bo up and down. "Hmm. I must say you look fabulous, you really can work the whole brooding barkeep look."_

 _Bo doesn't know why, but she laughed at that. They both leaned back and sized each other up._

" _Am Jasmine, thanks for asking." She smiled mischievously at Bo. "I've always wanted to make friends with a bar owner. It would be perfect for me." She flicked a piece of hair off Bo's forehead. "At the risk of being presumptuous, of course."_

 _Bo snorted. "What makes you think I need more friends? I have plenty."_

" _Oh, you definitely could use a friend like me. I can feel it." Jasmine lazily stroked Bo's arm, again and this time Bo didn't jerk away._

XXXX

Lauren impatiently drummed her knuckles on Lucy's hotel room door.

When she finally answered, she looked at Lauren with surprise and grinned. "Come in." She said, in an overly seductive voice.

Lauren rolled her eyes and entered.

Lucy closed the door and while not looking at Lauren bit her lip. This was it, she thought, Lauren had seen the light. Why else would she come to her room so late? Her stomach clenched at the thought of what she would do with Lauren in the bedroom. She'd wanted this for so long, dreamed about it so much.

She knew that kiss would work.

She swaggered over to the mini bar. Lauren looked tense, she needed to loosen up for their night together. "Would you like a drink?" She purred out dramatically.

Lauren, now seated, glared at her. "No, I'm not staying."

"Oh?" Lucy blinked slowly. Lauren was playing hard to get, she liked that, she didn't mind working for it. "Maybe just a little one."

"No. No drinks, I'm not staying." Lauren narrowed her eyebrows at her. "I think you should leave."

Lucy's eyes glinted with disbelief. "What?" She gasped out, feeling like she had been punched in the stomach.

"You were never invited to the wedding. You brought me some information, which I now have, so yes I think you should leave." She cut Lucy a sharp look, before turning her attention elsewhere.

"Lauren, I cannot possibly get a flight out this late," Lucy said after a stunned moment of silence.

"There's another hotel, at the airport. Stay there."

Lucy scoffed and poured herself a large drink. "You don't own this hotel, Lauren. I can stay if I like."

"No, you will leave." Lauren snapped.

Lucy looked at her. She'd never seen Lauren angry like this before, she hated to admit how hot Lauren looked this way.

"No, I think I will stay," Lucy replied, smugly.

Lauren folded her arms over her chest. "Fine stay, if you like, but if you do, I'll sell all my shares in the company."

Lucy tilted her head. She would call Lauren's bluff. "Ha. You have a strange sense of humor, Lauren. You need this business. You would never sell."

Lucy leaned back against the mini-bar. "Your whole life revolves around that company."

Lauren stood and walked over to her. "I don't need this company." She paused and stared at Lucy. "Besides, I can build a new one if I need to."

"All this over, what…a kiss?"

"I made my feelings clear, and you can't accept that, then yes, all this over a kiss."

Lucy opened her mouth then closed it. "Fine." Lucy flipped around. "I'll be gone in twenty minutes."

"Great." Lauren walked over to the door. "See you, New York."

 _XXXX_

 _Ethan put his hand over his forehead. "I can't believe you bought him an engagement ring. Are you nuts? He'll never wear it."_

" _It's a masculine ring! It's not like a diamond or anything. It's plain."_

 _Ethan shook his head. "I promise you, he won't wear it."_

" _Why not?" She asked, aghast. She had spent months deciding on the right ring, so her brother's response irritated her. Of course, Jon would love it she knew that._

" _Guys just don't like that stuff. I don't know why. It's a thing."_

 _She waved her hand dismissively into the air. "That's stupid. He'll wear it if he knows it means something to me."_

 _Ethan grunted. "Maybe."_

 _Charlotte automatically opened her mouth to argue further but decided against it, she knew Jon would wear the ring. She had picked it out. Therefore, it was the perfect ring. She had great taste, always did._

" _This wedding is turning into a huge affair. Did mom give you a budget?"_

" _Yes, but," She sipped her water and eyed him. "She always caves when I ask for more."_

" _She has plenty of money, but that doesn't mean you should take advantage of her."_

" _Whatever. She just feels guilty about leaving, and she's trying to buy my forgiveness."_

" _Hmm. Sure." He said after a brisk chuckle._

" _She offered to buy me a house." She tilted her head to look at him. "Why do you think she would do that?"_

" _Because she loves you and wants to see you happy. Share her success."_

 _Charlotte snorted. "Definitely more to it than that."_

 _Ethan signaled to the waiter, so they could order their food, and end this conversation._

XXXX

Lucy huffed at the checkout counter, waiting for help. She thumped her fingernails on the counter.

"Dr. Allen?" Gus rounded the corner to see Lucy standing, peevishly.

"Ah, hello Gus. Thanks for coming. I need you to drive me to the airport hotel." She stood on her tiptoes to look further back behind the counter, hoping to spot someone.

"Why?"

"I'm afraid Dr. Lewis has asked me to leave." She answered, resentfully.

"That's rude. The night before the wedding and all." He shook his head.

"Yes, she's being difficult."

Gus laughed. "That whole family is difficult."

Lucy raised her eyebrows. "Hmm," An idea came to her. "Gus, what do you think about helping me take this company out from under Lauren? Push her out."

They exchanged glances, for a moment. "What's your plan?" Gus asked, finally.

She leaned closer to him, so no one else would hear. "I think we can come up with something on the trip home."

"I'll pack my things," He rushed off to pack, gleeful to be away from this wedding, and Ethan.

XXXX

Lauren, after a long search, found Bo, sitting in the sand in front of the ocean. Bo turned and saw Lauren walking up. She smiled when she caught Lauren's eye, but looked away and the smile fell away.

Lauren sat near Bo in the sand. She removed her shoes and buried her feet in the sand, as Bo had.

"Bo, I'm sorry about earlier." She glanced down and watched Bo play with the sand. "Lucy kissed me. I didn't want that to happen."

Bo shrugged, "I don't care about the kiss. I care about honesty."

Lauren leaned back and rested on her elbows. "What I have to tell you is difficult. It's hard to know how to approach it. To start the conversation."

"Words usually help." Lauren's response had triggered Bo's annoyance.

Lauren sighed, "Why can't you understand that this is not easy for me to say?"

Bo decided to give up the attitude and leaned back to mirror Lauren's position. "Ok. I'm sorry. You can tell me anything. Just say it."

Lauren focused on Bo, intently. "Mac's sick. Same as Kenzi." She said direct, it was the only way, just put it out there.

Bo didn't say anything for a long time. She only stared out into the water.

Finally, she spoke, "When did you find out?"

Lauren studied the side of Bo's face. "Right before we left. But I thought we had a cure. But then everything fell apart at home."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"I wanted everyone to enjoy the wedding. Perhaps, it was the wrong decision."

"You should have told me as soon as you found out. You don't have to protect me from things."

"I know, but this is hard for me, for all of us. I don't…" She sighed deeply. "I don't know what I'm doing." She sat up straight. "I'm scared. I don't know what to do."

Bo rose to a sitting position and took Lauren's hand. "You're not alone in this, Lauren. I can't help with the science, but I can be there for you-support you. Give you someone to lean on."

"I need that. I don't want to be alone, anymore." Lauren's eyes started filling with tears.

Bo got to her feet and hovered over Lauren. She reached out her hand and pulled Lauren to her feet. "Let's go for a walk."

Bo relaxed her hand on Lauren's waist as they walked, and Lauren rested her head on Bo's shoulder.

"Lauren, we can do better this time. I know it. Face the challenges together. Whatever happens." Bo squeezed her hand tighter on Lauren's waist. "Kenzi's sickness was a shock to me. I didn't know how to handle…well, I didn't, at the time, realize how badly I was handling it."

Lauren remained silent so Bo could continue.

"I always knew I would lose Kenzi, but I wasn't prepared to have that happen so soon. I always, assumed, I'd have more time with her."

Lauren wrapped her arms around Bo's waist leaning her body more into her.

"We're stronger together. Our family. Us. We can take on this new challenge together. Be there for Mac."

"Thank you. That means a lot to me. To hear you say that." Lauren replied quietly.

"I mean every word." She stopped abruptly. "But that also means you to have to accept the help. Not let yourself get pulled in too deep." She paused. "Mac wouldn't want you to lose yourself into the work."

Lauren contemplated Bo's face, for a long minute, then realizing she was quiet too long at last said. "I will I promise. I'll do better this time."

"Come on." Bo pulled Lauren along and she allowed herself be led.

XXXX

They nuzzled together on Lauren's bed. Lauren rested her head on Bo's chest, listening to her heartbeat. She closed her eyes tight, getting comfort from Bo's warmth, closeness, and steady beat of her heart.

"What happens when we leave here? I have to go back to New York and work." Lauren asked.

Bo ran her fingers through Lauren's hair. "We'll take things slow, I guess. I can visit you, and you can visit me. We'll make it work. This is our new beginning. No need to rush things."

Lauren fiddled with the bed sheets. "I can't understand why this disease is so hard to cure. I've been working on it so long." She sighed. "Maybe it's not curable."

Bo mentally struggled with herself to bring up the Fae question. After a moment, she made a decision. "Have you ever asked her about wanting…I mean does she know about the Fae option."

Lauren lifted her head and searched Bo's face. "I haven't told her she's sick. I haven't gone over the options."

Bo bit the inside of her cheek, momentarily, and then opened her mouth, but Lauren spoke first. "So much is unknown about that option. The Fae aren't immortal. It may not even cure this."

"I understand." Bo responded simply.

"But I will ask her about it. At home, after I tell her."

Bo enveloped Lauren in her arms. "Let's get some sleep."

Lauren closed her eyes listening to Bo's breathing until she finally slipped into the haze of sleep.

Bo was not as quick to fall asleep. She remained awake holding Lauren close.

* * *

 **Hiya,**

 **This story is close to being completed, next chapter will probably be the last. This story was always designed to take place over the week long wedding and no more.**

 **However, since there was a positive response to these characters I'll do a sequel.**

 **Thanks for reading :)**


	16. Chapter 16

Tears were faintly in Lauren's eyes. She never imagined she'd be doing this here, now. But this is what she should have done days ago, maybe even years ago.

"Bo," She cleared her throat and repeated for the second time.

"I'm in love with you. I want to be with you, forever." A lump climbed into her throat. "Will you marry me?" She swallowed quickly, "Marry me, again?"

There was a tranquil silence encasing them. A dry gust of wind breezed past Lauren. Her heart pounded hard in her chest.

The sun drifted away behind them, the last shimmers of sunlight danced across Bo's face, right before it glided away into the ocean.

Bo didn't speak. She studied Lauren's face watching as the shadows from the night started to mask her face.

Lauren drew a breath, waiting for Bo's response…

XXXX

12 hours earlier…

Lauren opened her eyes before the sun even rose in the morning. Bo's arm was draped over her. With only her middle finger, she lightly ran it down Bo's arm. Not trying to wake her, she just wanted to feel her skin.

Part of her, sat wondering, even now if walking out on Bo was one of the biggest mistakes of her life. If she'd only worked harder, tried harder to fix things, they would have never lost those years together. Her rational mind played tug of war with her, reminding her that she had tried everything else, to help Bo, and nothing worked.

Every time she thought back to the night she left, it's always the same memory: Bo pleading with her stay, her willing herself from the house. The ten minutes she stood at the door caught between staying and going. The practically, out of body experience of getting into the car and driving away, she can, almost, still feel the tears on her face from that night.

They had a happy marriage until they didn't. They counted on and helped each other, until they didn't. Could she change enough, now, to avoid that?

As she laid there, on the brink of a fresh start with Bo, she didn't honestly know if she would be able to give Bo what she needed, at least not until this cure was discovered. Maybe, Bo deserved more than she could reasonably give at this time.

Or maybe…perhaps that was only fear talking, fear of things not working out again, fear of losing Bo again. How could she endure losing her, again? She couldn't. This was their last shot and this time it had to be forever…

XXXXX

Charlotte stared down in horror at her toes. Only two days ago, she had gotten a pedicure and now look at her toes, dreadful. How had this happened? Why was she being punished with such bad luck? She'd have to fix it, call Misty in and have her fix it. There was no other way. She couldn't get married like this! She would always look back at her beautiful wedding and think what a wonderful moment in her life shame her toes looked hideous. She couldn't let that happen, wouldn't let that happen.

She hurried to the other room, where all her bridesmaids were getting ready, trying to hide her toes. She was astonished that her wedding was being wrecked by a ghastly pedicure.

She burst through the door, tears in her eyes, Amber, Betty, and Fran stared at her in shock and concern.

All three of them half-dressed with perfect hair and make-up peered at Charlotte waiting for her to speak.

"I have a pedicure catastrophe! Look at this mess!" Charlotte waved her feet back and forth in front of the trio.

They bent down and examined at her feet, confused because her feet appeared fine to them. But being the good friends that they were they decided to indulge her.

"Misty can fix it," Amber offered with a smile.

"Yes, she'll work her magic," Betty added and patted her shoulder.

Charlotte slouched down into a nearby chair. "Why do these things always happen to me? I only want everything to be perfect!"

"I'll fetch Misty immediately," Fran rushed from the room and down the hall.

"Misty should really be by your side the whole day," Betty, now looking in the mirror, said.

"I agree," Amber said, also staring into a mirror scrutinizing her make-up and hair, making adjustments here and there. "You should really just be able to relax and get treated like royalty today."

Charlotte sighed miserably, inspecting her toes. She did hope that Misty would hurry.

XXXX

Bo strolled into the room, after her shower, nude. Lauren's eyes flicked up and down her naked, wet body. With her long brown hair and skin soaked wet, Bo was so beautiful and unbelievably sexy. Lauren was in no hurry to dress, with Bo's perfect body exposed in front of her. She was content to just take in the view.

Bo pursed her lips together when she saw Lauren's wide-eyes, the look of wanting to devour her right there.

"What are you doing?" Lauren finally asked.

Bo raised her eyebrows, faintly. "I like to air dry." Bo responded casually.

"Uh, huh," Lauren gulped out, eyes still locked on Bo. "I don't mind."

"I didn't think you would," Bo said through a half-smile.

Stomach tight with longing and her eyes still skimming over Bo's body, Lauren started to get ready. She didn't want to be late, after all.

Bo and Lauren, now fully dressed, stood in the middle of the room, lips and arms intertwined together.

Lauren leaned back only a few inches from Bo's mouth. "I think we should get going."

"Hmm." Bo pressed their lips together. "How much time do we have?" She asked after their kiss was done.

"Like thirty minutes."

Bo moved her hand up Lauren's dress. "That's plenty of time." She stroked Lauren's leg slowly.

Lauren shook her head, "I don't think it is."

"Sure it is." Bo pushed her back on the table behind them, lifting her onto it, and settled between her spread legs. In a frenzy, they pushed and pulled into each other. Bo slid Lauren's dress up, and Lauren's lips parted, waiting.

Lauren's phone rang, and quickly brought them out of their trance and into the present. "Bo." Lauren laughed out when Bo started planting kisses along her jaw and neck. Bo decided to ignore the phone. "If we're not careful, we'll be late." Lauren added.

Bo groaned, gazing into Lauren's half-lidded eyes. "Ok." She licked her lips. "Ok." She helped Lauren off the table. "You owe me, though."

They both grinned, lost in each other's eyes, for a half second, before Lauren checked her message.

XXXX

With a sigh, Ethan entered the room with the four women dressing. It's not that he didn't like Charlotte's friends, but they were very similar to her and sometimes it was hard to take all that concentrated Charlotte-ness.

It was like walking on eggshells waiting for which one would go on a tirade about this or that. They were amusing at times, as long as he didn't take them too seriously.

"Ethan!" Charlotte gasped out. "Where have you been? We've already had four near disasters." With her hand dramatically over her chest, she asked. "Have you checked on Jon, and our parents?"

"Jon is up and dressed," He paused. "I didn't check on our moms, I assumed they could handle the complicated task of waking up and getting ready, on their own."

Charlotte glared at him. "Don't assume anything with those two, they're full of surprises."

Amber played with her hair. "Your parents are so cute together. I never understood why they divorced. I remember being at your house, growing up, they were always kissing, holding hands, hugging. It was adorable. My parents never touched each other."

Charlotte opened her mouth, but Ethan interjected first. "Do you want me to go check on everyone?"

"I need you here," Charlotte exclaimed and gave him a warning look.

"For what?" He asked.

"To help us," Charlotte responded, highly offended, of course, they needed his help, why was he so difficult.

Accepting defeat that he wouldn't be able to escape, he smiled and nodded.

Charlotte studied her appearance in the mirror, one last time, mentally running over every detail of her appearance. She looked perfect, after a few, mishaps and she could finally relax.

"You look gorgeous," Was repeated over and over again by everyone in the room.

Charlotte looked over her shoulder at Ethan, "Ethan, can you go check on that wedding planner and make sure she knows her job for today?" She turned back to the mirror and ran her hands down her sides. "That woman should really look for another career. She doesn't seem to have a talent for wedding planning."

Ethan shook his head.

"What! Why is everyone so against honesty? She is simply abysmal. It's just the truth." She said matter-of-factly.

Ethan quickly slipped out of the room, as Charlotte continued her rant.

XXXX

The men, along with Mac, were already ready and gathered in one room.

"I'm so glad to be a guy. It's so easy to get ready. Shower, put clothes on that's it." Jon said in a cheerful tone.

Dyson and Mark were huddled around the table with drinks and food. Mac walked up to them with a perky smile. "Is your wife here Dyson?"

He nodded, with a mouth full of food. "She arrived yesterday." He sputtered out.

"I'm glad, she's super pretty and nice." She said, grabbing some fruit off the table.

"Save me a dance, Mac?" Mark asked and nudged her shoulder.

She looked at the ground, to hide her blushing cheeks. "Of course."

"I better get one also," Dyson added.

Mac blinked quickly, feeling a headache coming on. She didn't think she could take any more medicine, she'd already taken so much. She thought about going to see Lauren, but she didn't want to bother her. Not today. She'd tell her about the headaches at home.

Dyson stared at her, "Hey, no dance for me?" He asked when she was quiet for a long moment.

She forced a smile and regarded him warmly. "Dance for you too."

He wiped his hand over his forehead, jokingly. "Phew. That's a relief."

XXXX

All the guests were now seated outside facing the gazebo that was displayed in front of the ocean. The day was picture-perfect the sun was high in the sky, it wasn't too hot, and there wasn't too much wind.

Bo and Lauren sat in the front row. They were barefoot, everyone was barefoot, and they in harmony brushed their feet over the white sand.

Jon took his place on the gazebo and offered thumbs up to the crowd with a wide smile.

The music floated over the crowd, and everyone turned to watch as the pairs of bridesmaids and groomsmen ambled down the long walkway.

Silence followed, after they were done, then the wedding march played, and everyone rose to their feet, to watch as Charlotte and Ethan walked down the aisle.

Bo and Lauren had matching proud smiles as they watched their children walk together.

Bo put her hand on Lauren's shoulder and squeezed, Lauren placed her hand over Bo's hand.

When they reached the gazebo, Ethan kissed Charlotte's cheek and withdrew to his spot.

All the guests sat back down and watched the exchange of vows.

Lauren took Bo's hand and held it tight. Hearing the vows was a mental trigger for them pulling them back to their own wedding and vows. They glanced at each other tears in their eyes, then turned their attention back to Charlotte and Jon.

Charlotte was a weeping mess unable to clearly get out the words and Jon stood steady as her rock, helping her along the way.

Finally, when the ending came they kissed passionately, and Jon lifted Charlotte off the ground.

The guests sat watching as they continued to kiss, tongues and all, for a really long minute.

They broke apart and faced the crowd, hands together and in the air. Jon pumped his free hand into the air, and Charlotte smiled at him.

Bo leaned over and kissed Lauren's cheek, and Lauren rested her head on Bo's shoulder.

XXXXX

The reception was lively, everyone talking, eating, drinking, and dancing.

Mac was dancing happily with Mark, he twirled her around, and getting dizzy she gripped him tight.

Bo was at the bar getting a drink and Jasmine strutted up to her. "Buy a girl a drink?" She whispered into Bo's ear.

Bo chuckled, "All drinks are on Lauren, they're already paid for."

Jasmine signaled to the bartender, "In that case: keep them coming," She purred to him.

"I didn't see you at the ceremony," Bo said stirring her drink.

"Well, I find weddings to be a bore. But receptions that's a party I would never miss." She danced her fingertips across the bar. "Plus, I'm in desperate need of a dance with the sexy Dr. Lewis."

Bo arched her eyebrow at her.

"You don't think she'll dance with me?" Jasmine responded in mock offense. "Once she sees my moves, she won't be able to resist."

"I'm sure," Bo said and rolled her eyes.

"I only have one night left to seduce her," She sighed theatrically. "I'd hate to leave here and not cross her off my list."

Bo nudged her shoulder.

"Oh, fine," She stared at Lauren, who sat across the room talking with Ethan. "I'll leave the doctor alone. Shame really, I was so looking forward to it." She grabbed two drinks off the bar. "But I fear she may be desperately in love with another." She winked at Bo and pranced off.

XXXX

"I'm so proud of you," Lauren beamed and brushed a piece of hair off Ethan's face. "You looked so good up there, walking Charlotte down the aisle. And taking care of her all week, you're a great brother."

"Thanks, ma. She only had fourteen or fifteen meltdowns before we got there, so it was a good day." He said with a smile.

Lauren caught Mac's eye and smiled before turning back to Ethan. "Have you seen Gus?" She asked.

Ethan stiffened and thought through the day. "No, I haven't seen him."

"Odd. I haven't been able to get a hold of him since yesterday. I thought he would be at the ceremony."

Ethan played with his napkin. "Maybe he thought he'd be out of place, or something. Since it's a family thing."

Lauren frowned at him and glanced back at Mac. "I should give Mac a check-up before we fly out."

He followed Lauren's gaze to Mac on the dance floor. "She seems fine. But it might be for the best."

XXXX

Bo, not wanting to put it off anymore, approached Mac on the dance floor. Her stomach was in knots, but she did her best to act natural.

"Can I have the next dance," She asked with a smile.

Mark handed Mac off to Bo, "I need a drink, anyway. This one is exhausting." He teased and walked off.

"This wedding is the best. Did you see Charlotte cry? Oh, my god, I thought I might die!" Mac said cheerfully.

Bo grimaced at the word die but forced a smile. "It was beautiful."

They danced energetically for a while, and Bo worried about Mac stopped them. "Do you want to sit for a minute?"

Mac looked at her questioningly and answered. "Sure."

They sat at an empty table, both enthusiastically drinking their drinks. "You'll be seeing a lot of me in New York. I think I'll be visiting quite a bit."

"Really," Mac grinned impossibly wide. "That's so great!" She took a glimpse at Lauren and tightened her eyebrows. "Are you and Lauren back together?" She asked in a hopeful voice.

Bo shrugged. "Maybe. We will be spending more time together, that's for sure."

Mac stood up and hugged Bo affectionately. "That makes me so happy. I've been so anxious since you two divorced. You belong together."

Bo stroked the back of Mac's head and dabbed the tears from her eyes.

XXXXX

Bo, Lauren, Charlotte and Ethan sat around a table, enjoying their drinks and food.

Charlotte was drunk on happiness, a happy euphoric feeling. She lifted her glass high into the air. "I'm married, and it's amazing." She brought the glass down, finishing it off. "I spilled something on my dress and I don't even care!" Her eyes darted around the room. "Hopefully, no one noticed though, that would be embarrassing." Her eyes got wide, and she whispered to the three of them. "Don't tell, ok. Don't tell about my dress."

The three of them laughed, and she got up abruptly. "Better go and mingle with everyone." She hurried off. "Amber!" She shouted, almost running to her friend.

"Hm. She seems happy." Ethan said to his parents.

"I'm happy she's enjoying herself," Bo said, looking at him fondly.

"In that case, I think I'll get drunk," He hurried off to the bar.

Bo observed him as he walked away, greeting people on his way. "Our daughter is married and we are about to be grandparents." She turned her attention to Lauren. "Did you ever think we'd end up here?"

Lauren's looked at both her children quickly, and said. "We have two great kids and I have no doubt our grandchild will be incredible. I'm excited to have a little one around again."

Bo nodded. "Why did we stop at two?" Bo asked, examining her empty glass.

Lauren shrugged. "I think the twins were just a handful and we never talked about having more." She paused. "Then time slipped away from us."

Bo chuckled. "I suppose you're right."

Lauren's phone vibrated, and she quickly glanced at it, but didn't read it. "Do you think Ethan will ever marry? He doesn't seem to be the relationship type from what I've seen."

"I don't know. He's still young. I'm surprised Charlotte married so young."

Dyson and his wife Sadie joined them at the table.

They all smiled and offered each other greetings.

"So, are we going to see little Dyson juniors running around any time soon?" Bo asked.

Dyson looked at her nervously. "We've only been married 3 years! Give us time."

Lauren laughed. "Yeah, but you're like a million years old it's time to get on that."

Dyson looked at Sadie fondly. "Do you want kids…soon?"

"I wouldn't mind. But no rush." She leaned over and kissed his cheek.

Bo took Lauren's hand, and they continued to enjoy a pleasant conversation.

XXXX

Jasmine pinched Ethan's side when she walked behind him. "This family is so maddeningly good-looking. Yum."

He studied her and sipped his drink. "You and Charlotte should hang out sometime, I think you'd get along."

"I get along with everyone, sweet thing." She offered him an exaggerated wink.

He leaned back against the bar. "Are you like a professional troublemaker or something?"

"I wish but alas, I have a boring day job like everyone else." She ran her finger down his shirt collar. "Care to guess. You'll never guess."

He smiled at her with interest and studied her, for a second. "Hmm. Something in the sex industry?"

She grinned at him sneakily. "I'm flattered you think I'm a professional sex kitten, it's a compliment really but no." She sipped her drink and eyed him over it. "That's purely recreational."

"You're right I can't even guess."

"Shoot," She playfully rolled her eyes. "You're no fun. You didn't even try to guess."

He shrugged. "You're too mysterious for me." He paused and leaned closer to her. "That's a compliment."

"You are a charmer. Clearly, you didn't get that from Bo." She joked. She slid her hand up her dress and pulled out a business card. "I'm a lawyer." She slipped it into his shirt pocket. "And a damn good one." She waved at him as she walked away.

XXXX

Mac sat next to Bo and Lauren grinning ear to ear. Her eyes darted between them. She was overjoyed at the thought of them being back together.

"How are you feeling?" Lauren asked, trying to keep her voice even.

Mac glanced down, ashamed about not going to Lauren about her headaches. It felt like lying to her.

Bo and Lauren watched her, and she finally raised her head, with tears in her eyes. "I'm so sorry, Lauren. I've been getting headaches. I know you said to come to you immediately…" She trailed off and looked down again.

Lauren grabbed her hand. "Mac, it's ok."

Bo rubbed her back. "Yeah, Lauren will give you a check-up at home. It will be fine."

They exchanged uneasy glances.

Mac wiped the tears off her face and nodded.

Watching Bo and Mac together, an idea suddenly came to Lauren, she frowned and concentrated on the realization. It was risky, but it might…it could work. So much about Bo's healing ability was a mystery but…

She stood up abruptly, "I need to go to my room, just for a moment."

Bo frowned, "What's wrong? Do you want me to come with you?"

Lauren shook her head. "I'll only be gone for a few minutes." She rushed off to her room.

Bo smiled at Mac, "Did you get enough to eat?" She asked.

Mac patted her stomach. "More than enough, I might bust."

XXXX

Lucy and Gus sat side by side on the plane.

"Any ideas?" Lucy asked Gus.

"I did have a thought." He leaned close to her and whispered. "I know Lauren uses company sources for off the books, fringe science."

Lucy squinted at him. "Like what?"

"I know there's a secret serum she uses on herself that the board doesn't know about." He paused. "I've seen her working on it."

Lucy tapped her finger on her lips, thinking. "That might be exactly what we need." She grabbed his arm. "You could use your relationship with Ethan to get more information. It could be helpful."

He smiled at her. "I'll do whatever it takes."

"Perfect."

XXXX

Lauren paced around her room, thinking, rubbing the back of her neck. Bo's healing was tied to chi and sex, but somehow she knew the key to helping Mac was locked in Bo's DNA, her abilities. She could feel it. Bo was unique with her bloodline. She was different. She was the key, no doubt. She just needed to figure out how to use that to help Mac.

Lauren bent over a table vigorously taking notes, whatever random thoughts entered her mind. She glanced at the time and grimaced, she'd been up in her room too long, but she couldn't turn her mind off now. Too many ideas were coming to her.

Her phone vibrated again, this time she checked it. There were messages from home wondering why Gus was unreachable. She frowned, but ignored it and concentrated on Bo and Mac, and her new idea.

XXXX

Most of the guests had moved back to their rooms. Bo sat alone scowling at the time. Lauren had been gone for a while. She knew it was probably important, but part of her wished she could just enjoy the wedding.

Taking a deep breath, she walked to Lauren's room, to check on her.

Bo knocked on the door, and Lauren answered after a few knocks.

"Bo, I'm so sorry. I got distracted. I didn't mean to." She said nearly out of breath.

"You missed the end of the reception." Bo said and entered the room.

"I…" She paused, looking fixedly into Bo's eyes. "I have a few more things to do. Don't be upset."

Bo shrugged. "I'm not upset." She pulled Lauren into a kiss. "Just remember to ask for help, if you need it. You're not alone." She kissed her forehead, leaned back and smiled. "Work if you need to, I'll be outside."

Bo stared at her, one more time, over her shoulder before she left. "I love you, do you know that?"

Lauren nodded and opened her mouth, then closed it.

Bo smirked and left the room.

Lauren watched as the door closed behind Bo. She sighed and went back to work. After a minute, she looked back at the door and made a decision. She left the room, swiftly.

XXXXX

Bo, alone, watched the sunset. It was one of the most stunning sights she'd ever seen. The entire sky was glowing as the sun sank down into the ocean.

"Bo," Came a familiar voice from behind. She turned around but didn't answer. She was lost in thought.

Tears were faintly in Lauren's eyes. She never imagined she'd be doing this here, now. But this is what she should have done days ago, maybe even years ago.

"Bo," She cleared her throat and repeated for the second time.

"I'm in love with you. I want to be with you, forever." A lump climbed into her throat. "Will you marry me?" She swallowed quickly, "Marry me, again?"

There was a tranquil silence encasing them. A dry gust of wind breezed past Lauren. Her heart pounded hard in her chest.

The sun drifted away behind them, the last shimmers of sunlight danced across Bo's face, right before it glided away into the ocean.

Bo didn't speak. She studied Lauren's face watching as the shadows from the night started to mask her face.

Lauren drew a breath, waiting for Bo's response.

When Bo remained silent, Lauren kept talking. "I'm awful at balancing work and everything and I can be difficult at times. But…" She stepped closer to Bo. "I will give everything I can, this time. If you give us another try, if you marry me, again, I know it can work this time." She brushed the hair off her face. "The truth is I'll never be happy without you. I can't be happy. I need you. And I think you need me…"

Bo cut in. "Lauren," Bo said when she finally spoke, "Yes. Yes, I'll marry you. It's all I want. I want you." She reached out and grabbed Lauren's hand and pulled her close, pressing their lips firmly together. "And I do need you. Always have." She said between kisses.

XXXX

The next morning, Ethan, Charlotte and Mac sat in Lauren's room waiting.

"Are they really doing this?" Charlotte asked. "They're crazy." She shook her head slowly.

"I think it's sweet," Mac added her eyes twinkled. "They should always be married. They belong together."

Ethan smiled at them and watched as Lauren and Bo sauntered into the room and stood in front of them.

Bo hugged Lauren and rested her hands on the small of her back, and Lauren did the same, their foreheads pressed together.

A small woman stood in front of them and started the exchange of vows.

Bo was first, "I Bo take you Lauren to be my wedded wife…" She slipped the ring on Lauren's finger.

With their foreheads still pressed together, Lauren took her turn. "I Lauren take you Bo to be my wedded wife, forever…." She slipped Bo's ring on.

They leaned in tuning out the rest of the world, only vaguely aware of the others in the room and kissed.

Charlotte scoffed. "They weren't told to kiss, yet." She stared at her brother. "Where'd they get those rings?" She asked him with a confused expression.

Mac replied in a low voice. "I made them. I'm very crafty." She grinned proudly.

"Shh," Ethan whispered, not wanting them to ruin this moment for his parents.

Charlotte glared at him, then back at her parents. She couldn't help thinking, that they did look perfect together, that they just fit together.

Mac smiled watching them kiss. She grabbed Ethan and Charlotte's hands. And the three of them sat quietly as Bo and Lauren kissed in front of them as wives-once again.

 **AN**

 **I have no idea if the Fae have different wedding ceremonies (probably) but I opted for a human type ceremony because why not :)**

 **I changed my mind, no sequel. I think this story will flow better as one continuous story. So, I changed the title and will continue updating this story. Hope you don't mind.**

 **Thanks for reading this story.**


	17. Chapter 17

**AN**

 **Maybe I'm over thinking it but all the loose ends of this story were bothering me, so I decided to continue it as one story and not break it up. I think it'll flow better as one story.**

* * *

Hands clasped together Bo and Lauren entered the tall apartment building. It was an expansive space inside and Bo thought all of the Dal could fit inside the lobby alone. Everything looked expensive and screamed of wealth. Bo, admittedly, felt a little uncomfortable.

Lauren greeted the doorman with a smile as they walked by, and he nodded in response. They walked to the elevator. Lauren pressed her thumb on the panel on the side, and quickly the doors opened in one smooth motion.

"How far up are we going?" Bo asked her eyes up. She was slightly overwhelmed by everything.

Lauren grinned, "All the way to the top." To Bo Lauren's smile was filled with happiness she hadn't seen in a long time. Her heart sped up a little in her chest.

Bo grabbed Lauren's hand and kissed it. "I sometimes forget how rich my wife is, she's loaded and sexy as hell, and I'm really lucky."

Lauren kissed Bo's cheek. "How rich we are."

"I can't wait to get up there," Bo said in a low husky voice. Her hand traveled up Lauren's shirt. Lauren's smile faded into a more intense expression as she stared at Bo's lips.

After what seemed like a really long ride the elevator stopped smoothly, and the doors opened.

Lauren walked up to the door and placed her finger on a pad, after a second, the door opened.

Bo blinked when they entered the apartment. It was impressive and very Lauren, modern, crisp, and every surface appeared to glimmer brightly. Everything was so beautiful and undoubtedly very expensive. Bo wondered, for a second, how much money Lauren had, it's not something they ever discussed, and it wasn't important to her, but she got the feeling, looking at the apartment, it was more than had she imagined.

"Wow." Bo's voice was full of awe, and her stride faltered briefly and she pulled off her shoes.

Lauren smiled bright at her, "Do you like it?" She opened the door wide for the doorman to bring their bags into the apartment.

Bo nodded. "It's huge. How much did it cost?" She felt a little bad about asking, but her curiosity simmered over.

"Don't ask."

"That much, huh?" Bo said putting her hands in her pockets and taking in her surroundings. Posh looking artwork tastefully decorated the walls. Fresh plants and flowers were everywhere. Bo wondered if Lauren paid someone to keep them fresh, most likely.

"Everything is expensive here," Lauren said with a small smirk. "Especially real estate, but it's very close to the lab, so convenience works in my favor."

Bo pulled Lauren close and planted kisses along her jaw. "Where's the bedroom?" She whispered against Lauren's skin.

Lauren tilted her head back, and after smiling at her for a half second, grabbed her hand and led her up the stairs to their bedroom.

Bo's eyes darted around the room for a moment. "Nice big bed." She said with her eyebrows up.

She pushed Lauren on the bed and climbed on her.

"You don't want to see the rest of the apartment first?" Lauren asked hoping she'd say no as she arched her back for more contact.

Bo buried her head in the nape of Lauren's neck. "I really don't. I mean technically this is our honeymoon, right? Let's enjoy it."

Lauren chuckled. "Well it'll be a lot like our last honeymoon then, we never made it to our destination. We just stayed in our bed at home the whole time."

"Yeah, it was perfect." Bo purred into her ear.

After kissing and exploring each other's bodies, they quickly pulled their clothes off.

Hours later, Bo was asleep in the bed. She woke up and found Lauren gone. She got up and looked around the room. She brushed her fingers over the surfaces of various things. Her eyes landed on a panel of buttons on the wall. She pressed one and above her head the ceiling opened up revealing a mirror above the bed.

"You're up," Lauren said and walked back into the room. She picked up her clothes that were scattered on the floor and folded them meticulously and softly laid them on a chair.

"What's this?" Bo asked with a smile pointing to the mirror on the ceiling.

"That was here when I bought this place," Lauren answered a smile spread over her face.

Bo pressed the button again. "That should come in handy I think."

XXXX

In the late evening, Lauren wandered into the kitchen to find Bo cooking.

She leaned against the doorframe and watched her wife cook, almost naked. She missed this, missed finding Bo cooking wearing almost nothing.

She cleared her throat to get Bo's attention. "That smells great," Lauren said when Bo caught her eye.

Bo pulled the food off the stove. "Come have some."

Lauren settled next to Bo and rested her hand on her back and slowly took a bite of the food.

Suddenly, she pushed Bo back against the island behind them. Lauren kissed Bo's chin and jaw line. "Mmm." Bo sighed out indicating Lauren to continue.

Lauren's hand roamed the side of Bo's body until she landed on the string of her underwear. She slid them down and kissed her way down the length of Bo's body.

Bo closed her eyes and held her breath in anticipation. Lauren, now on her knees, looked Bo in the eye before leaning into her. Bo gripped the back of Lauren's head and arched closer to her.

Lauren slid her hands up Bo's legs. She pressed her hands hard into Bo's backside. Bo sighed out her approval as Lauren's tongue flicked in and out of her. Bo clenched the island behind her and rocked her body into Lauren's tongue for more friction.

"Oh," she sighed out followed by jagged breaths as her insides and body tightened with pleasure.

Lauren tilted her head back and rose to her feet. "If you're done cooking let's go back to bed." She said her voice low and raspy.

"What food?" Bo asked lifting Lauren onto the island and pressing her lips against her neck.

Lauren's head fell back, and her eyes fluttered quickly as Bo removed her robe. She murmured a soft sigh and enjoyed the feel of Bo's strong fit body, as she pressed hard against her.

XXXX

Lucy sat at her desk across from Gus. "So, where does she keep this serum?" She asked. "And the off the books research." She tapped her pen loudly on the desk waiting for a response.

Gus fidgeted in his chair. Lucy's tapping was making him uncomfortable. "She keeps her lab locked and only her fingerprint can open it. I assume it's in there." He paused. "I'm her assistant and she doesn't even give me access to it."

"That's certainly cause for concern. The board wouldn't approve of that, in the least." She narrowed her eyes at him. "Does Ethan have access to it?"

He thought, for a second. "Yes. He probably does."

She stared at her pen, for a brief second, and continued her tapping. "Let's use that. Use Ethan to get access. I know he broke things off with you but you most definitely can reignite that spark if you need to." She said her eyes locked on him as she leaned forward.

His eyes fell onto the pen, and he resisted the urge to grab it out of her hand, and he said. "Should be easy. He is, at the end of the day, a push over and a mama's boy. That's easy to manipulate."

She dropped her pen. "Lauren, on the other hand, will most certainly be more difficult to predict and control." She cracked her knuckles thinking. "She's been hiding this for years, she won't give away information easily."

Silence filled the room.

"But I will work on Lauren. Apologize for my behavior and get back into her good graces. Appeal to her rational mind and remind her how important our working relationship is to the company." She paused. "She may be more reasonable away from Bo."

XXXX

Lauren sat on Bo's lap, and Bo kissed her neck and her shoulders. Bo's hand was brushing over the couch feeling the expensive material beneath; it was very soft and comfortable.

"We should talk about a few things?" Bo paused, so she could kiss Lauren's neck more. "Where are we going to live?" She asked between kisses.

Lauren tilted her head to the side, signaling for Bo to continue. "Here, I guess until a cure can be found then maybe we'll live in both places. Or we can make that decision later."

Bo pulled her closer into her body, she just couldn't get enough of Lauren, she felt too good. "I will have to fly back, soon. To find someone to run the Dal full-time."

"Of course. I understand."

"I mean I don't have any of my stuff here. I'll need clothes."

"You can buy some stuff. I'll get you a credit card tomorrow." Lauren said and tangled her fingers in the hair on the back of Bo's head.

"I have my own money," Bo said gently. She didn't want to feel like a kept woman, she could contribute with money, it's not like she was poor, the Dal was doing pretty good business.

"Whatever you want. It's fine."

Bo paused then asked. "What about feeding, should we talk about that?"

Lauren laced their fingers together. "I think what we did last time worked perfectly. No feeding in our bed and home and no repeats, if you can avoid it."

"Sounds reasonable to me."

Bo played with the ring on Lauren's finger, the ring Mac had made them. "Should we buy new rings?"

Lauren looked at Bo over her shoulder. "I still have my old one. Do you?"

Bo kissed her cheek. "I do. But it's at home." She paused and looked at her own ring. "But I think I want to wear this ring for a while. For Mac, she was so proud to make them. I think it will make her happy to see us wear them."

Lauren nodded leaned back closer into Bo and Bo wrapped her arms around her squeezing tight.

XXXX

Charlotte wished Jon would hurry up because she was getting bored. They waited at the airport to fly back home. Charlotte had canceled the honeymoon, well postponed it until after she gave birth.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a few little kids running around. She rolled her eyes. Didn't anyone know how to handle their own kids? One thing she knew, for sure, her children would never act like that in public. She often thought if people controlled their children, the world would be a better place.

She flipped absentmindedly through the book on her lap, a baby book. She wrinkled her nose looking at pictures of stretch marks. She was so thankful to be a succubus, no wear and tear on her body. She'll just heal right up. She did wonder how fat she'd get, even if it was temporary, it would still be gross while it lasted. She shook her head, feeling bad for human women and what their bodies went through just for children.

Jon strolled up with drinks in hand. He smiled brightly at the book she was looking at. "It's excellent to see you reading up on baby stuff."

She shrugged. "It's all human information probably isn't that relevant to our situation."

"Well, luckily, you have a succubus mom who has experience being pregnant. She can answer all your questions." He said in a sweet voice patting her knee.

She glared at a child that knocked into her foot running by. "Other people's children are just monsters." She took his hand. "Promise me our kid won't end up like that."

He kissed her hand. "Kids will be kids, let them have their fun."

XXXX

Ethan opened the door, to his apartment, quietly, peeking around to see if his roommate was asleep.

The darkness of the apartment told him no one was home. He sighed inwardly with relief. He was in no mood to see Gus, at the moment. Why had he started an affair with his roommate and work colleague was beyond him, it was one of worst decisions of his life. But working the hours, he did, it was hard to go out and meet people.

He was happy, sometimes, that he had taken after his donor and wasn't an incubus. How would he ever time the time to feed? He wondered how his mom and Charlotte balanced that with everything else in their lives. Must be a huge inconvenience. Being a siren was less glamorous than an incubus but he was glad to have inherited it. The lifestyle was much easier.

Ethan dropped his bags off in his room, making a mental note to start looking for a new apartment and go to the store to restock the refrigerator with food.

He checked his computer looking over his upcoming schedule for work. He sent out an email clearing his schedule. He wasn't going to work on anything but Mac's case until a cure was found.

He rubbed the back of his neck and decided to get to sleep early so he could get to the lab as soon as possible in the morning. He considered calling his mom, to ask what time she planned on going into work but decided to let her enjoy her time being newly married before they started back in on work stuff.

He gathered a few of Gus' things from his room and tossed them on the living room couch before collapsing on his bed for sleep.

XXXX

Gus sat at the kitchen counter, absorbedly eating his breakfast, waiting for Ethan to come out of his room.

A few minutes later, Ethan appeared, dressed in dark slacks and a white shirt, his hair slicked back. He looked at Gus and nodded a greeting.

Gus leaned on his elbow, keeping his expression light. "Welcome back," He said in a cheerful tone.

"Why didn't inform my mom you were flying back early? You're her assistant. It's your job to be by her side." Ethan asked with an annoyed tone. His mother treated Gus fair, paying him way more than she should and giving him a lot of responsibility, and it enraged him that Gus would just leave without informing her, it was disrespectful.

Gus swallowed his initial comment and offered a lie. "Oh, Dr. Allen told me I was to fly back with her, I assumed Lauren knew."

"My moms your boss, not Lucy," Ethan shot back, filling his briefcase.

"I will offer my apologizes immediately then." He answered with a forced smile.

"I should hope so," Ethan swung the bag over his shoulder and walked to the front door. "I will start looking for an apartment soon."

"Why?" Gus asked and stood up quickly. "You don't have to do that. This is your apartment."

Ethan shrugged, his hand on the doorknob. "I want to live alone for awhile."

Gus stepped closer to him. "Can't we put all this behind us and be friends? We started out as friends. There's no need for that to change."

"We'll see." Ethan responded and left the apartment.

XXXXX

Bo's ringing phone pulled her awake. A smile stretched on her lips when she saw it was her wife. "Hello there, doctor," She purred into the phone.

"Morning. Sorry, I had to rush off so early but I needed to get to the lab, and I didn't want to wake you at that absurdly early hour." Lauren said her voice chipper.

Bo smiled into the phone. "Will you be gone all day?"

Lauren paused on the other end. "I have no plans to, but…"

"Lauren it's ok. I was only asking." Bo said and continued. "I'll hook up with Mac sometime today. She can show me around. She really loves New York."

"Yeah, sometimes a person and a city just click, and New York seems to be her town, for sure," Lauren said her tone sounded slightly distracted.

"Do you need to get back to work?"

"I'm sorry, yes. Someone just walked in with a report I was waiting on."

"See you at home. Go work."

Bo ended her call and headed to the large bathroom. She smiled at the bathtub, which was more like a mini swimming pool. Her clothes dropped to the floor, and she entered the warm water in the bathtub.

XXXX

Lauren sat in a large leather chair, in her office, reading over four reports at once. Despite working through the wedding, she had a lot to catch up on. Things moved fast, and she needed to be diligent to keep up on everything. Mac's situation tugged at her mind, and it was hard to concentrate on everything else.

She made a note in her schedule to have Mac and Bo come to the lab, two days from now.

She was now pacing around the room. Sometimes walking was the perfect way to clear her mind. After a time, she stopped at the large window to look out into the city.

Lucy slid into the office without her noticing. "Dr. Lewis do you have a moment?"

"Of course." She took a seat at her desk waiting for Lucy to speak.

Lucy noticed the ring on her finger. She tilted her head and studied Lauren.

Lauren smiled at her, wishing she'd start the conversation, so she could get back to work.

"Did you get married?" Lucy finally asked.

Lauren nodded. "Sure did. Though, in my heart I never stopped being married." She said directly.

"That's wonderful," Lucy replied, her voice dripping with disdain.

"What would like to discuss?" Lauren asked after a long silence.

"Oh, yes. We have auditors coming in. I need a detailed list of everything you are working on."

"Of course. I have all that information available already."

"Excellent." Lucy stood quickly. "I hope there will be no awkwardness about what happened. It's better to put it behind us and focus on work."

"I agree." Lauren turned her attention back to her reports. "I've already forgotten it."

"Glad to hear it," Lucy said through gritted teeth before leaving the office.

XXXX

After a good night's sleep, Mac thought she'd feel better. That wasn't happening, she rubbed her hands over her face. Her head throbbed so bad she didn't even want to open her eyes. She heard her phone vibrate, but she couldn't bear looking at it.

Her whole body trembled, and sweat started to coat her body. Her fingers and toes began to sting; that was new. The tingling sensation wasn't painful it just felt odd. She squeezed her eyes shut picturing her mother. She wondered if her mom felt this and if she really did have her illness. She also questioned if it was strange that the idea made her feel closer to her mom, like they were connected.

She knew her father would be at work already. So, she weakly reached for her phone and her trembling hands pressed one for Lauren's cell.

Within the first ring Lauren answered. "Mac is something wrong?"

"Lauren…" She gasped out before passing out, and the phone falling from her hand.

* * *

 **AN**

 **No, Ethan is not incubus. Why did I choose a Siren? Basically, I'm terrible at remembering Fae types and I thought Ethan's personality didn't really fit with any of the Fae I could remember. No, Hale was not the donor (he was dead at the time) and I assume there's more than one Siren family around Fae town.**

 **Hope everyone's ok with me continuing as one story and not doing a sequel :)**

 **Thanks for reading!**


	18. Chapter 18

_15 years earlier._

 _Bo watched Kenzi with Mac and smiled. "I can't believe you have a baby."_

" _Haha. Isn't it the craziest thing?" She rocked the baby gently in her arms. "What's even crazier is you have twins, who are ten years old. Think about that."_

 _Bo stirred the food on the stove. "The craziest thing of all is I barely remember a time without them."_

 _The twins entered the house, having just gotten home from school._

 _Charlotte dramatically slumped in a chair. "My life is over I tell you. Over!"_

 _Kenzi and Bo exchanged glances and tried to hide their smiles. They knew Charlotte could be a drama queen sometimes._

 _Ethan busied himself with his homework having already heard about his sister's problems on the ride home, many times._

 _Charlotte stared at Bo wide-eyed with big watery tears. "Don't you even want to hear what happened?"_

 _Bo walked behind her and kissed the top of her head. "Of course, sweetie. Tell us what happened."_

 _Charlotte buried her head in her arms. "I got dumped in front of all my friends. How can I ever show my face in school again? I'm humiliated."_

" _Oh, don't worry about that Charlie. Happens to everyone. Just show 'em it's their loss, and it doesn't bother you." Kenzi offered and gently laid Mac down to sleep._

" _My life is over!" Charlotte shouted and ran up the stairs to her room._

 _Bo started to follow her but stopped and bent down to kiss Mac's chubby baby cheek first. She stared at the baby, for a long minute, and smiled affectionately._

XXXXX

Bo rushed into Lauren's office with her heart racing. "Is she ok?" She gasped out, panting from her run.

Lauren walked over and pulled her into a tight hug. She gently rubbed her back in small circles. "She's fine."

Bo's body slumped down in relief, and she drew Lauren closer to her. "What happened?"

Still in their embrace Lauren said. "Old-fashioned human flu. Her immune system is slightly weakened from her illness, so I will keep her here, for a few days, to monitor her. But she should recover from this…."

"Gosh, Lauren I was so scared, I thought…" Her voice whispered away, and tears covered her face.

"I know." She leaned back and held Bo's face. "I know." She gently kissed her lips.

"Can I see her?" Bo asked, staring sadly into her wife's eyes.

Lauren nodded. "First, there's something I wanted to talk to you about. I've had an idea, and I need a blood sample from you."

Bo frowned. "Me?"

Lauren stepped back to her desk. "It's only a theory now, really. But there might be a way to use your succubus healing abilities to save her."

"Let's do it!" Bo pulled her shirtsleeve up and offered her arm to Lauren.

Lauren smiled. "Bo, understand at this point it's only an idea. I have no way of knowing if or how this will work."

Bo pulled her sleeve down, at the same time Ethan entered the room.

"What happened?" He asked staring at Lauren, his face lined with distress.

After Lauren explained, he said. "We should give her the drug. The one we've been working on. It's very promising. It's not a cure, but all the signs point to it slowing down the progression of the illness."

"What drug?" Bo asked her eyes locked on Lauren.

Lauren cleared her throat and took a seat. "That drug is untested. There are laws for this, sort of thing, in the human world. I can't just give a young girl a drug that wasn't gone through the proper channels."

"No one has to know, ma," Ethan said and sat down in front of her, his eyes fixed on her earnestly. "There's no reason anyone outside of the family has to know."

Lauren pressed her fingers to her temples. "What do you think, Bo?" She asked with a deep sigh.

"Do it," Bo said without a pause, her voice firm.

Lauren thought for a really long minute. "We'll have to ask both Mac and her father. If they agree, we'll do it." She bit the inside of her cheek, nervously, after saying it and looked back and forth between her wife and son. They nodded in agreement.

 _XXXX_

 _Mac's bright baby eyes gazed at Bo, in astonishment, as she took a few stumbling steps toward her._

 _Bo extended her arms and captured the baby when she finally reached her. The baby giggled in delight, and Bo lifted her high into the air. "I knew she'd be a fast learner."_

" _That kid's going places. I'm telling you she's smarter than me already." Kenzi watched from a chair as Mac and Bo played on the floor._

" _I believe that." Bo teased and blew on the baby's belly gaining a louder giggle._

" _Do you want more babies?" Bo asked in between kisses on Mac's belly._

" _I dunno I'm getting up there in human years. I think one is enough. One perfect kid is all I need."_

" _What are you talking about? You're young."_

 _Kenzi laughed. "Young at heart, for sure." She paused. "What about you and the doc, more babies?"_

 _Bo put Mac back on the ground to watch her walk to the table. "I'd love to have a little Lauren running around the house. But I don't know."_

" _Could the world handle two Laurens?" Kenzi joked, and Bo chuckled offering an arm to Mac to steady her uncertain steps._

XXXX

Mac cried into her hands, and Bo held her tight. "So, I am sick. Just like my mom." She wept harder in Bo's embrace.

Bo looked pleading at Lauren, her own tears in her eyes.

Lauren closed her eyes tight. "We are going to do everything we can. I promise. All of us." She walked over and ran her fingers through Mac's hair. "We'll figure something out."

Mac laid down on the bed. "I just happy I have you guys. My family." She closed her eyes and quickly drifted off to sleep.

Ethan pulled Lauren to the side. "Should we give her the drug now? I have it ready."

Lauren kept her eyes on Bo and Mac. "We have to talk to her father first. Get his permission." She turned her attention to her son. "We also need to allow her body to fight off this flu first. In a few days, when she's recovered, we'll do it."

Gus seeing the group in the lab entered slowly. "Dr. Lewis do you need assistance with anything?"

"No, thank you, Gus. This is a family matter." She paused. "Mac has the flu. We're allowing her to rest here until she's better."

"Of course," Gus said and he glanced down at a paper Ethan was holding and tried to read what it said. But he was only able to catch a few words before Ethan moved it out of his view. "Let me know if you need anything."

Bo's phone vibrated in her pocket. She glanced at it. "It's Charlotte. She'll want an update on Mac." Bo slid gently off the bed and took a few steps away.

"What is happening?" Charlotte barked dramatically into the phone. "I'm worried sick and no one's giving me an explanation."

Bo took a deep breath. She was hoping to tell Charlotte about Mac's illness in person when she returned home, but she had decided to postpone her trip.

She softly and gently explained what was happening, and Charlotte was quiet for a long time and Bo could hear her crying.

"I need you to do me a favor. I'll need you and Jon to run the Dal, for me, for a while. I can't leave Mac. Can you do that?"

Charlotte sighed into the phone. "Jon was a job. He can't do it."

"What about you?"

"I don't want to work at a gross bar! I have no interest in working at all."

"Everyone's doing their part. It's time for you to step up for this family." Bo responded adamantly.

Charlotte was silent. "Good grief, ok, but you can't use the family card for everything. It's not fair."

Bo smiled into the phone. "Thank you, sweetie. I'll send you over all the information and call me with any questions. I love you."

"Yeah, Yeah. Give Mac a big hug for me. I'll call her later."

Lauren sat next to Mac and watched her sleep with a huge sense of foreboding about whatever decision she made about Mac, about giving her the drug or not.

After Bo finished her call, she walked up behind Lauren and placed her hands on her shoulders, massaging them gently. "Are you ok?" She asked.

Lauren shook her head and peered up at Bo. "No, I feel slightly uneasy about all this. If anyone finds out…"

"No one will," Bo said confidently.

XXXX

Lucy was already at the restaurant when Gus arrived. She flipped through her phone and sipped her Cosmo slowly waiting for him.

"Gus, you're late," Lucy accosted Gus as he took his seat. "I hate tardiness. I don't have time for it."

He picked up the menu, "Dr. Lewis keeps me very busy. Sometimes, it's hard to get away for lunch."

"I also hate excuses."

Gus gestured to the server and ordered his drink and food. "Maybe this will cheer you up. The entire Lewis-Dennis clan was in the lab today. The young girl, Mac is sick, and she'll be staying in Lauren's lab overnight."

"We know the girl is sick." She said and laid her drink down, eying him severely.

"But I saw Ethan holding a paper with information about a drug, that isn't set to start clinical trials for another four months."

Lucy picked her glass up and sipped slowly. "You think Lauren is going to give Mac that drug before it's properly vetted."

He shrugged. "That family seems to believe they're above rules and laws, so why not."

Lucy chuckled. "Well, Lauren may end up in jail as well as losing her company if this turns out to be true."

Gus' drink arrived, and he eagerly downed it. "May I ask why you're going after Lauren like this? I always thought you two had a great partnership."

Lucy looked at him with a disgusted face. "Lauren made a fool out of me and I hate to lose. She's emotional and irrational that's not the kind of partner I want."

He wrinkled his nose and stared at his drink.

"She also threatened me with selling the company. Plus, her activities put the entire company at risk. The reasons are endless." She said coolly and paused. "Why are you doing this?"

"Money." He said sharply. "And, that promotion you offered me."

"There's nothing wrong with wanting to help yourself. Ambition is a good thing. There would be no process, in this world, without it." She reached into her bag and pulled out a tiny black object. "This is listening device for you to plant in Ethan's briefcase."

"What? You want me to plant a bug on him?" Gus gasped out.

"You live with him, you have the easiest access, at the moment." She glided the bug across the table to him. "Do your part, Gus. And I'll do mine."

With a sigh, he took and concealed the bug in his pocket.

 _XXXX_

 _Nine years earlier_

 _Mac cuddled up on Bo's lap and hugged her tight. "Is my mommy gonna die?"_

 _Bo froze and pulled the little girl closer. "Your mother is a survivor and one of the strongest people I know, she'll fight this," Bo replied pushing as much confidence in her statement as possible. "And no matter what I'll be here to take care of you."_

" _She's super brave too, huh?"_

" _The bravest."_

" _Like all those times she helped you go up against big scary bad guys."_

 _Bo nodded and chuckled. "Too many times to count."_

 _Mac smiled against Bo's shirt. "Tell me the story about how you met my mommy again. I love that story."_

 _Bo brushed her fingers through her hair and started the story…_

XXXX

Groaning, Charlotte inspected the Dal with her hands on her hips. This was her worst nightmare come true, running and managing a bar. Her? Sometimes, she wished she was less selfless, and then people wouldn't take advantage of her. Her mother should really just hire someone or sell it. Why was she hanging on to a run-down old bar, anyways? How much money could one make in the bar business? Couldn't be that much, her mom lived in the basement.

The door opened wide, and Jasmine sauntered in, wearing a red strapless dress and eight-inch heels. "Why so sulky, pretty lady?"

Charlotte's lower lip trembled, and she began to cry. "I have to run this dusty old horrific bar." She plopped on a barstool, sniffling loudly.

Jasmine waved her hand in the air and twirled around. "That's great news. If I were not a brilliant lawyer, I would be a bartender. Alcohol, people, what else do you need?"

"Heh," Charlotte mumbled and rested her elbows on her knees and buried her face in her hands. "Big dreams you have there."

Jasmine glanced around the Dal. "Where's Bo?" She asked and helped herself to a sizable drink.

"New York," Charlotte muttered, her face still in her hands.

"Hmm. Isn't that interesting." Jasmine replied with a spirited hint in her voice.

"You didn't know they got remarried?"

"Must have happened after I left. Although, I am slightly offended no one invited me to the ceremony. Ultimately, I am the one responsible for their union. Tsk, Tsk rude."

Charlotte snorted. "What ceremony? They stood in front of Ethan, Mac and I, said a couple things and kissed for a really long time. It wasn't a proper wedding. If I didn't know any better, I'd think it was a shotgun wedding. Or a poor persons wedding."

"Not everyone needs all the bells and whistles."

"Ok." Charlotte rolled her eyes at that. A proper, perfect wedding was an important start to any good marriage. She knew that even if Jasmine and her parents didn't.

"I should send them a gift, though. Something in the nipple clamp variety should do nicely. Maybe bedazzled." She took out her phone and made a note to herself.

"Ew." Charlotte was getting annoyed. Who would ever want to hear about their parent's sex lives? Not her, succubus or not.

"Oh honey, your parents get down and dirty, I know it. Why wouldn't they? You're young and sexy."

"EWWW. Can you not. I really don't need that image in my head." Charlotte's head rose up, and she glared at Jasmine.

Jasmine arched her eyebrows and wiggled them. "I think that image will come in handy for me…later."

"Why are you here?" Charlotte snapped. "My mom's in New York, you can go now."

Jasmine strutted to the door. "I'm gone." She turned back over her shoulder. "Running a bar isn't so bad, you'll be the boss, that means you can boss people around." She pushed through the door and was gone.

Charlotte stood up, feeling better. "Yeah, I'm the boss!" She shouted to no one because she was alone.

XXXX

Lauren's phone jerked her away from her thoughts. She stared at it momentarily dazed before answering it. _Dr. Lewis, your son, is here to see you._ Came her receptionist's voice on the other end.

Ethan walked in slouching from exhaustion. It had been a long day for everyone.

It was late evening, so she decided to make herself a drink and offered one to Ethan, who declined.

She drank it slowly with a sympathetic face. "You should go home and get some rest, you look tired."

He chuckled. "I thought exhaustion was in the job description. I think I got a memo about that once." He joked lightheartedly.

She smiled over her glass at him. "We're trying something new called balance. Taking care of ourselves first."

"You know, I should have locked you and mom in a closet together years ago. Forced you to talk. She's a good influence on you."

"It's only the first week, let's see how it goes." She teased.

"Is she still here?" He asked after a hefty yawn.

Lauren nodded, "She's sleeping in Mac's room."

Ethan got up and paced around the office. "What did her father say about the medicine?"

Lauren hesitated for a moment and sighed, "He agreed."

Ethan clapped his hands together. "Perfect. That's great news."

Lauren rubbed her eye and stayed silent. She decided to keep her misgivings to herself.

After a few minutes of silence, she stood and pulled Ethan into a hug. "Go home. Get some sleep. We can't do anything else tonight."

He leaned back and looked at her with a slight smirk.

She walked him out. "Take one of the company cars, you shouldn't be driving like this."

He yawned and grinned and left the office.

Lauren had so much nervous energy pent up inside her, she decided to stay up and work before joining Bo in Mac's room.

 _XXXX_

" _New York? That's far away." Bo glanced down around Mac and responded in a soft, timid voice._

 _Mac smiled down at her feet. "Yes, my father wants a new start, away from…" She drifted off and paused. "from everything that reminds him of my mom."_

 _Bo squeezed her shoulder. "I'm sure you'll like it there. It's a great city." Butterflies danced in Bo's stomach looking at Mac with her expressions that were identical to Kenzi. How had she never noticed how much Mac resembled Kenzi? Honestly, it was hard to look at her, without thinking, nonstop about Kenzi. Her death was so fresh in Bo's mind._

 _Mac glanced back up at her with tears in her eyes. Hundreds of images of Kenzi wearing that exact face flashed through Bo's mind, in an instant. Her stomach sank. "You'll come and visit won't you? All the time?"_

 _Bo pulled her into a tight hug. "Of course. You'll always be in my life, you're family."_

XXXX

Lauren crept into the dark room and glanced at Bo, who was asleep in the bed next to Mac, and walked over to Mac's bed.

She read over Mac's chart and put her hand on her forehead. She gently took her wrist, for a moment, feeling her pulse.

"Lauren?" Bo asked quietly and lifted her head up, trying to push the sleep from her eyes.

Lauren crawled into the bed with Bo and hugged her from behind. "Go back to sleep." She whispered in her ear.

"How's she doing?" Bo asked keeping her voice quiet.

"Better."

Bo took Lauren's arm and kissed the inside of her wrist softly and placed Lauren's hand on her cheek, for comfort.

"How messed up is it to be so happy while Mac is going through all this? Does that make me selfish to be so content when I'm with you?"

"No, of course not. Mac wants you…us to be happy." Lauren reassured Bo.

"You're staying with me, right? Sleeping here?" Bo asked her voice laced with sadness and fatigue.

"Where else would I go?" Lauren asked leaning on her elbow taking in the side of Bo's face.

Bo turned her head and captured Lauren's lips in a sweet quick kiss and Lauren caressed her cheek when they separated. "Good." Bo closed her eyes tight with Lauren's hand still on her cheek. Within a few seconds, she fell into a deep sleep.

Lauren stared into the darkness of the room, listening to the background noises around her. She couldn't shake the uneasy feeling she had about everything. But she needed sleep, tomorrow would be another long day and rest was vital.

She brushed her thumb over Bo's cheek, using her warmth and the feel of her soft skin to calm her mind and nerves. After an hour, of laying awake thinking, exhaustion finally seized her.

* * *

 **AN**

 **Greetings,**

 **I've decided to add flashbacks back in, to highlight different relationships or characters if needed, but maybe not in every chapter.**

 **Thank you again soooo much for reading and to those leaving comments I really appreciate it, thank you :)**


	19. Chapter 19

Married life was incredible, Bo mused, watching Lauren pull on her clothes for work. It was funny to her that one of the things she missed most about being married was simply waking up next to her sleeping wife. It was a little thing that was so comforting and reassuring. It was remarkable how easily they'd settled back into married life. The reality they lived in was, of course, a never-ending onslaught of predicaments and disasters, but now they had each other, and that made all the difference. They could face anything as long as the family stayed together, as long as they were whole.

Lauren finished getting dressed and leaned against the doorway, watching Bo watch her. "What are you going to do today?" She finally asked.

Bo stretched out on the bed. "Stay in my beautiful wife's bed all day, waiting for her to return…naked." She wiggled her eyebrows as she said it.

A smirk crept over Lauren's face. "No, really." Her smirk turned into a full smile. "Not that I would mind coming home to find you naked."

Bo strolled up to Lauren and wrapped her arms around her. "Now that Mac is over her flu, I'll go visit her and get a tour of the city."

Lauren's smile dimmed slightly, and she squeezed Bo. The next day, Mac was scheduled to get her first dose of the treatment and Lauren's inner voice warned her nonstop. But she did her best to quell all her misgivings.

Feeling Lauren stiff Bo drew back and noticed the unmistakable signs of distress on her face. "Babe, what's wrong?" Bo's eyes dropped to the dark circles under her wife's eyes.

Lauren lightly kissed Bo's lips. "I'm hoping to have a breakthrough soon, with using your abilities for Mac. For a cure."

Bo tugged Lauren to the bed, leaned on it and hugged Lauren's waist. "There's more. What is it?"

Lauren played with Bo's hair. "Honestly, I wish we didn't have to rush giving Mac this drug. I just want more time."

Bo peered up at her. "Tell me what I can do to help."

Lauren's lips twitched into a smile. "Keep being you, that's all I need."

 _XXXX_

 _25 years earlier._

 _Bo and Lauren rested on their bed with the twins between them watching as they slept. Lauren brushed her fingers across Charlotte's chubby baby cheek and smiled. Bo lightly kissed Ethan's head, and they grinned at each other._

" _They're so tiny," Bo whispered, putting her finger into Ethan's baby hand._

" _And perfect," Lauren added, her eyes dancing happily._

 _Charlotte began to fuss, and Lauren gathered her up in her arms and laid her on her chest, slowly stroking her dark fuzzy hair to soothe her. "I think they're going to look just like you," Lauren said turning her head to smile at Bo. Still brushing her fingers over Charlotte's dark hair, the baby quieted back into a deep sleep._

 _Bo scooted closer with Ethan now in her arms and rested her head on Lauren's shoulder. "I'm so happy, Lauren. Our family is amazing."_

 _Lauren kissed the top of her head, and the four of them drifted off to sleep cuddled together._

XXXX

"Triplets!" Charlotte shrieked at the startled Doctor in front of her. "Check again! I can't have triplets! Three babies at once! That's madness."

"I assure you I am quite positive you are indeed pregnant with triplets." The doctor replied in a gentle tone.

Jon smiled wide and shifted his bulky frame to a more comfortable position in the small chair. "This is great news. I always wanted a lot of children, and now we're getting them all at once."

"Triplets!" Charlotte reiterated in complete shock. "That's three babies, everyone in this room is aware that means three babies!"

Charlotte glared at Jon then back at the doctor. "I demand that you check again!" Her eyes darted around the office. "Are you a real doctor? Let me see your license." She pulled out her phone. "I'm calling my mother; she's real doctor. She'll sort this out."

Jon gently took the phone away. "Charlie let the doctor finish everything will be fine."

"Fine!" She shouted, and started to cry in large tears. "Triplets!"

 _XXXX_

 _18 years earlier_

" _Look at this mommy," Ethan ran proudly up to Lauren showing off his worksheet._

 _Lauren eagerly took the paper and smiled. "Wow, Ethan you did all this math by yourself?"_

 _With a grin spread over his face he nodded. Lauren leaned down and kissed his cheeks. "Great work. Maybe you'll be a scientist one day."_

 _Charlotte watched the exchange and sadly looked down at her own paper. She couldn't figure out how Ethan was getting this math stuff so easily. She frowned and concentrated and from a distance listened as Lauren twirled Ethan around in her arms with excited praises._

 _She huffed and pushed the paper away and crossed her arms. Lauren noticed and walked over. "Oh, sweetie everyone learns at their own pace. Don't worry, you'll get it."_

" _Ethan's not smarter than me, you know." She said with a pouting expression, tears glinting in her eyes._

 _Lauren hugged her tight. "Of course not. Let me show you some tricks to make it easier." She took Charlotte's pencil and copied the work._

 _Charlotte smiled and moved closer to her mom and watched absorbedly as she explained._

 _After a few minutes, Ethan ran over and peeked at Charlotte's paper. He shook his head. "That's not right Charlie. You're doing it wrong." He grabbed her paper. "I'll show you, it's easy."_

 _Lauren gently patted his hand. "Ethan, let her try."_

 _Charlotte got up quickly from the table. "I'm going upstairs. Math and science are dumb." She ran up the stairs with tears falling down her face._

 _In her room, Charlotte sat on her bed and read over her textbook, trying to understand the math problems that Ethan had so easily understood. After ten minutes, she threw her book down and was done. Math is lame, she thought, before curling up into a ball on her bed._

XXXX

Lauren rested her phone on her shoulder and looked through her microscope. "Charlotte don't sound so down and upset, having triplets is not the end of the world."

Charlotte laughed loudly through the phone. "What would you know about it?"

Lauren frowned concentrating on her work. "I raised twins remember?"

Charlotte snorted. "I guess that makes you an expert."

"Not an expert, all children are different. All situations are different. But your mother and I survived twins, so it is possible to manage."

"It's just perfect that I'm here, alone, expecting triplets while my whole family is there. It's not fair."

"Come to New York."

"Never going to happen. I will never live there."

"Please, Charlotte be understanding that we can't come home, yet." She rubbed the back of her neck engrossed in her work but trying to listen to her daughter. "You could hire a nanny for the extra help."

"Money doesn't solve everything, mother." Charlotte shot back with a loud, angry voice.

"I never said it did. I only wanted to offer an alternative to the nervous breakdown you're having. Offer options."

Charlotte was silent for several long seconds. "I'm calling Ethan he'll be much more understanding and sympathetic."

She hung up the phone quickly and distractedly studied the information in front of her, trying to put the pieces together in her head. A nagging voice inside was telling her was missing something important.

After three hours of working, she stretched out and paced around the lab. Finding this cure was slow, painstaking work with a lot of trial and error. Despite her misgivings about the treatment, she hoped that it would work to give her more time because time is what she desperately needed.

She needed a fresh perspective on the whole situation that was clear. She turned all work minded again, filled with a resolve to work until a new idea hit her. But she was disappointed to find that goal out of reach, for the day, when she was called into a budget meeting. She hated those meeting, but she felt it was important to know everything that was going on in the company, not just the science.

Reluctantly, she left her work behind and went straight to the board meeting.

 _XXXX_

 _Lauren studied the trophy with a proud expression. "First place in the science fair, Ethan. That's wonderful!"_

 _Ethan hugged her around the waist and peered up at her. "Thanks, ma."_

 _Across the room, Charlotte snorted and flipped through her romance novel and rolled her eyes. One more trophy for the collection like he doesn't have enough, she thought._

 _Lauren attentively played with Ethan's hair. "How about we go to the museum today? Would that be fun?"_

" _Yeah, that would be great!" Ethan released her and ran up the stairs to get ready._

 _Sitting next to Charlotte, Lauren squeezed her knee. "Would you like to go with us? There's a lot to do there. It's very fun."_

 _Charlotte kept her head down. "Sounds boring. No thanks."_

 _Lauren frowned and searched her daughter's face. "Are you sure? I would love for you to go."_

 _Charlotte sat cross-legged on the chair and began playing with strands of her long brown hair. "Science is lame. I'm going to wait for mom to get home, to do something that's actually fun." She said with fake yawn._

 _Lauren cocked her head and smiled. "There's more than just science at the museum. There's history, art-"_

" _Boring," Charlotte said. "Things will be much more exciting here."_

XXXX

Ethan nervously ambled around his apartment, for something to busy his mind. His mom had insisted he take the day off after working so many hours during Mac's flu. But the silence of the apartment was grating. Even after trying to calm Charlotte down for an hour on the phone, it wasn't enough to distract him from work and Mac's illness.

He wished his mom would just give her the drug. She seemed to be stalling. They had all agreed he didn't understand why she was now reluctant.

He decided to try and relax by taking a shower. After a very long shower, he entered his room only wearing a towel and found Gus sprawled out on his bed.

He frowned. "What are you doing home and in my room?"

"I took the day off." He moved behind Ethan. "You look stressed." He started massaging Ethan's shoulders, and Ethan let him because he was stressed, and it did feel good.

A few minutes into the massage, Gus spun around to his front. He flicked off Ethan's towel and dropped it to the floor. "Let me help you relax."

They kissed and fell onto the bed.

After they were done, Gus watched Ethan's breathing to make sure he was in a deep sleep. He quietly pulled out the bug from his pants pocket and slipped it into Ethan's briefcase.

He crept back to the bed to check on Ethan's sleeping patterns. He tiptoed over to Ethan's laptop and as quietly as possible hacked into it, keeping his eyes on Ethan. He quickly downloaded a program that would give him remote access to the computer. Any information on Lauren's serum would likely be on his computer, probably encrypted or in code but any information would be useful to him and Lucy.

Lucy had been on him for days for not getting results, so he came up with this plan all on his own. He was a valuable member of this partnership. He would prove that by gaining access to Ethan's computer, on his own.

When he was sure the program was downloaded successfully, he gathered up his things and quietly exited the room, without an ounce of guilt.

XXXX

Bo leaned against the doorframe with lunch in hand and observed her wife as she worked. Mac was scheduled to come in for the drug in an hour, and Bo wanted to be there.

Lauren looked up and rubbed her hands down her face before catching Bo's eye. Her worried, stressed face cracked into a grin when she saw Bo. "What are you doing here?" She asked standing from her seat.

Bo lifted up the bag of food and pointed to it. "I brought you lunch." She walked to the back of the lab and started pulling out the food. She gave Lauren a suspicious look. "Do you remember to eat lunch when you're working?"

Walking up behind, Lauren gently placed her hand on Bo's hip. "Yes, I do." Bo gave her a doubtful glare and Lauren added. "I should say Gus is in charge of making sure I remember." She let out a small laugh and peeked into the bag.

Bo chuckled. "That's what I thought." Bo lightly kissed her. "Is Mac here, yet?"

Taking a seat across from Bo at the table, Lauren shook her head and unwrapped her food. She stifled a yawn. "I'm not making any process on a cure." She dragged her eyes back to her tablet and flipped through reading over her work, her food now nearly forgotten.

Bo glanced between Lauren and her work. "But Ethan thinks the medicine should slow down the illness."

"The initial testing is promising, but it still hasn't gone through proper scrutiny. So, nothing is a guarantee at this time." She paused and forced a smile. "But, hopefully, it will buy us time to come up with a real cure." Lauren's face cleared of all expressions, and she stared off at a back wall, lost in thought.

Sadness filled Bo watching Lauren look so stressed and unsettled. She hesitated, unsure about what to say when her attention was pulled to Gus entering the lab.

He offered his greetings and hovered behind Lauren. "Dr. Lewis, I saw your schedule is clear the remainder of the day. Is something wrong?"

"No, I'm working on a private matter." Lauren fell silent and focused on the information in front of her.

He didn't press for further details, he paced around the lab, for a few minutes, studying the layout of the space. He noted where he believed the serum was stored as there were a few vials marked with information that made no sense to him. Earlier in the day, he had caught part of a conversation of Ethan on the phone with Lauren, discussing an anti-aging serum. He knew, beyond a doubt, that's what was in this lab, and Lauren was using it on herself. His mouth watered at the thought of how much money Lucy would pay for this serum and information.

Bo's focus was fixed on Lauren, and she didn't pay Gus any attention as his eyes scanned the room.

Smiling wide and with a cheerful air, Mac, along with Ethan, entered the lab. Bo and Lauren rushed over to her, and the four of them fell into a deep conversation, no one remembered Gus was in the lab.

While their attention was focused elsewhere, Gus slipped a few vials, of what he believed to be Lauren's serum into his bag. No one noticed, and he was relieved.

He crossed the lab and stood next to the family. Lauren finally noticed he was still there, and gave him a few instructions for the day. He nodded and exited the room. Once he cleared the room, he almost ran back to his office. Ethan being occupied with Mac was the perfect time to hack into his computer for more information.

XXXX

Mac rested on the bed while Ethan and Lauren got the medication ready. Ethan took the needle. "Ma, let me give it to her, that way you'll be in the clear if anything should happen."

Lauren smiled at him. "No this is my responsibility. I would never risk you." She placed her hand on his cheek.

Ethan raked his fingers through his dark brown hair. "Ma-" He started.

Lauren put her hand up to stop him, her expression commanding. "No arguments. I'm your mother and your boss." She said firm and decisive.

Bo walked up behind them. "Is everything ok?"

Lauren and Ethan gave matching nods. "Yes, we're almost ready," Lauren said after another survey of the drug and Mac.

"What will happen?" Mac asked looking at the needle, her voice with a hint of nervousness.

Lauren leaned down to look at her, keeping her voice light. She didn't want Mac to know she was troubled by the situation. "You will start to feel better and the headaches should go away." She held her hand. "But this isn't a cure. We still need to work on that. This will slow down the progression and give us more time."

A pointed silence grew in the room, everyone's attention focused on Mac.

Pushing all worry and alarm bells down, Lauren inserted the needle into Mac's arm. She looked at Bo grimly and waited, holding on to Mac's arm.

 _XXXX_

 _7 years earlier_

 _Lauren hugged Ethan tight. "I'm so proud of you graduating at the top of your class."_

 _Charlotte glared at them. "Where's mom?"_

 _Ethan and Lauren pulled apart, and Lauren stiffened. "On a case, I would assume."_

 _Charlotte inspected her nails putting on nail polish. "When will she be back? I need to talk to her."_

 _Lauren frowned. "I'm not sure. You can talk to me." She moved closer._

 _Charlotte huffed. "It's a succubus problem, not a science problem."_

 _Lauren squeezed her shoulder. "I happen to know a lot about succubus stuff. What is it?" She asked gently._

 _Charlotte pushed back from the table. "You just know everything don't you." She rushed quickly from the room._

 _Lauren glanced at Ethan, who shrugged in response._

XXXX

Bo waited at the restaurant, impatient and annoyed. She had received a text from Dr. Allen asking her for this meeting. At first, she refused but Lucy said it was important and about Lauren, so curiosity overtook Bo and here she was, waiting.

She ordered a drink, sipped it slowly and ordered another before Lucy arrived. Thirty minutes later, Lucy appeared without a word of apology for her lateness. Bo let it go and simply rolled her eyes at the ridiculous power play.

Lucy sat across from Bo, crossing her legs, showing more than enough thigh. Bo thought, for a brief moment, that she might be a beautiful woman if her personality wasn't so dreadful and off-putting.

After a few forced and phony greetings, they sat staring at each other. Around them, people in the restaurant chatted away lively and loudly.

Fed up with the situation and the silence, Bo asked. "What is this about?"

Lucy offered her a wicked smile and pulled out a vial from her bag and theatrically placed it on the table. She pushed her glasses up the bridge of her nose, watching for Bo's reaction.

Bo frowned, "Thanks, I'm good. I don't need any of your weird drugs."

The smile fell from Lucy's face. "Oh, but I think your wife does." She leaned closer. "To stay young and beautiful that is."

Momentarily stunned, Bo showed no signs outwardly of a reaction but on the inside her body shivered in fury and irritation. She didn't say a word.

Lucy slipped the serum back into her bag. "Fine let's play games." She narrowed her gaze on Bo. "I know what that is and you know what it is."

Bo tapped her fingers on the table dismissively. Her temper was flaring, but she gave no signs of that, she kept her face expressionless.

Lucy stared wordlessly at Bo, for a long moment; she had expected more of a reaction out of her. "I think there's a pretty good chance Lauren feared what would happen if this serum got into the wrong hands." She cleared her throat still staring at Bo. "Someone might exploit it for profit, and Dr. Lewis wouldn't want that now would she."

Bo stayed silent refusing to give her anything that she was looking for. Bo didn't understand how Lucy had found out about Lauren's serum, but she wasn't going to ask at that moment. A queasy feeling settled in her stomach, as she thought about Lucy having her wife's serum.

Lucy adjusted her legs, crossing them the opposite way. "But, you see, I am reasonable. I won't bring this information to the board. I'll pretend it doesn't exist, if..." She laced her fingers and peered at Bo with dark eyes. "If Lauren spends a weekend alone with me."

Bo laughed out loud and looked around the restaurant. "Am I on one of those cheesy hidden camera shows?" She moved her head around, peering beyond Lucy. "That's what this is right?" She asked gesturing a finger between herself and Lucy. "No way a grown woman would be saying this for real."

Lucy's expression turned furious. "Don't mock me." She said sharply.

Bo couldn't help a small laugh at that. "Is it that hard for you to meet someone?" She asked her face wrinkled with confusion and disgust. "Go to a bar, there are plenty of lonely people out there. Probably even one or two that would be willing to put up with you." She paused and anger glinted across her eyes. "You don't have to coerce my wife into spending time with you."

Lucy ignored most of Bo's statement and said. "Not just spend time. She has to agree to be open to the possibility of sleeping with me if the weekend goes well."

Bo worked hard to keep an indifferent face, but really she was fuming that this woman would steal her wife's serum and blackmail her into sex. "You're crossing the line into absurd land. Really, listen to yourself. You sound crazy. My wife isn't going to have sex with you."

"I'm not saying Lauren has to sleep with me, she simply needs to spend the weekend with me and we'll see where things go."

Bo thought carefully and long before responding because her first reaction was to simply punch her in the face. But she collected herself and kept her voice composed. "I will say this again, you're bat shit crazy." Bo rubbed her palms over her eyes. "I'm talking to a crazy person." She said, still forcing calm.

Lucy snapped back. "Don't you talk down to me."

Needing to release her anger, Bo dug her fingernails into her palms. "You come to me, not Lauren, and demand to spend the weekend with my wife as if she's my property and I'll just loan her out to you for the weekend. That's insane."

"Lauren will agree if she thinks you're fine with it. She would do anything to protect her secret." Her expression held the same smugness Bo had grown to expect from her. She wanted to slap it off her face.

Neither spoke, for a long, dense moment. Lucy rudely dismissed the server that approached the table and Bo stared her down.

"One thing, I know for sure is you screwed up here. Tipped your hand too early. Now I see what game you're playing." Bo said keeping her voice as solid and stern as she possibly could.

Lucy scoffed, rolling her eyes and waving her hands at her bag. "I have the serum. I hold all the cards."

Bo looked her up and down. "If you knew anything about me you wouldn't say that, I don't like threats or blackmail. But you'll soon find out you messed with the wrong family."

"Lauren has 4 days to agree to the weekend or I go to the board with this information. She'll lose everything and this serum will, no doubt, be exploited and used by the wrong people." She rose from her chair and whispered into Bo's ear. "Surely, one weekend is a small price to pay for protecting your wife." She flung her bag over her shoulder. "Convince her. One weekend and all this will go away." Before she walked away, she added. "We also know about Lauren unlawfully administrating that drug to young Mac. Lauren would be facing prison for that, which, I'm sure, she knows." She twirled around and strode purposefully away from the table.

Bo ignored Lucy's attention seeking exit and pulled out her phone. She understood perfectly the severity of the situation, and she needed help and advice.

After a few seconds, a voice on the other end said. "Oh, I knew you couldn't stay away for long, sexy vixen."

"Jasmine, be serious for a moment. I need your help. Will you come to New York?"

* * *

 **AN**

 **To answer a question: Ethan and Charlotte are twins but fraternal twins, so they wouldn't have to be a succubus and incubus. Ethan would have developed independently from Charlotte they simply shared a womb.**

 **I lost my saved work, outlines and more, so I may have some errors with the timeline during flashbacks, hopefully not but there's a chance.**

 **Next chapter, I wonder how Lauren will react to Lucy's proposition….**


	20. Chapter 20

Bo didn't sleep that night, after talking with Lucy. She was so furious she couldn't settle her mind. Lauren was working late, and she didn't want to tell her over the phone about Lucy's foolish proposal. So, she paced around the apartment waiting for her wife.

And, of course, there was the fact that she so badly wanted to go to Lucy's place and take that the vial and information back with force. But she had learned a long time ago to think through problems and not act rashly. It didn't help ease her mind that Mac was being pulled into this craziness. She didn't deserve that.

Now, having a made herself a drink, just to have something to do, Lauren entered the apartment.

Bo found herself smiling at Lauren, in spite of the tension in her body and mind. Lauren smiled back and tossed her things on the kitchen counter. "Sorry about working so late." She said filling a glass with water.

Not ready to worry Lauren, Bo decided to stick with a normal conversation for a while. "Did you have dinner? I can make you something."

Lauren nodded and finished her glass of water, immediately putting it in the dishwasher.

"Do you want to go to bed?" Lauren asked, leaning down on the counter looking at Bo with alluring eyes.

Bo shifted, and her mood changed, her face turned serious. Lauren noticed and frowned concernedly. "What?"

Bo led Lauren into the other room, and she beckoned Lauren to sit next to her. She reminded herself to keep her anger in check while telling Lauren what happened. She held back her frustration and told Lauren everything in one long breath.

Lauren laughed into her hands she couldn't stop herself.

Bo gave her a pointed look. "Lauren don't laugh. This is serious."

Lauren composed herself and muffled another chuckle. "I know it's serious but at the same time it's so preposterous. I mean out of everything we've gone through over the years, this is the most ridiculous." She bit her lip to crush another laugh. "What does she think will happen?"

Scowling, Bo sighed. She was starting to get annoyed that Lauren wasn't taking this situation seriously. "She has your serum, Lauren." She said firmly, trying to use her tone to signal to Lauren how seriously she was taking this whole thing.

Lauren shook her head. "I don't know what she thinks she has, but my serum is locked in a vault in this apartment. I don't keep it in the lab." Her face held an expression that it should be obvious she wouldn't keep it there. "Why would I keep it at work?"

Bo sighed at Lauren's nonchalant attitude. "She has something and she knows what the serum does. That's serious."

"Bo, come on, out of everything we are dealing with this is the least of our worries." She pursed her lips together to keep from laughing. "I mean this woman can't be serious." She laughed out loud again. "Spend a weekend with me or else!" She said in a mocked Lucy voice.

Lauren swallowed another laugh, and Bo looked somber and troubled. "Lauren, please. She knows about Mac's treatment."

Lauren rubbed her hands down her face and tried again to collect herself. "That is serious, but what evidence does she have?"

Bo shrugged. "First, we need to figure out how she got the information and that vial."

Lauren nodded, finally composed and looking concerned. "She doesn't have access to my lab, only Ethan and I do."

"Gus," Bo said unequivocally. "He was in your lab and he's roommates with Ethan."

Lauren considered this for a moment, a glint of anger in her eyes. "He has been acting strange since the wedding." Lauren had a face. "I have to fire him. We should call Ethan and tell him to leave the apartment."

"Don't you think that would spook them into doing something." Bo countered.

"We'll figure all this out tomorrow," Lauren said, rising from the couch and stretching out her body. "It's been a long day. I'll think better after some sleep."

Several minutes later they entered their bedroom. Bo pulled off her shirt and tossed it behind her onto the floor before climbing into bed with Lauren. Lauren scooted closer and tangled their legs together.

Bo found herself relaxing laying next to her wife. Bo practically melted into Lauren and forgot all about Lucy conspiring against them, at least until morning. Bo's world calmed, and sleep came quickly.

 _XXXX_

 _1 year earlier._

" _Don't take this the wrong way, but why are you wearing that ring?" Lucy gestured to the ring on Lauren's finger. She fixed Lauren with the same expression that Ethan often did when she wore it-pity._

 _Lauren twisted her ring nervously on her finger. She had forgotten to take it off before this meeting. She stopped and stared at it for a long time. She wished she could stop wearing it. It broke her heart every time she removed it at night. It was like losing Bo all over again. But, for some reason, she kept putting it back on. It was her shield against what she didn't want, a romantic relationship. Or, at least, that's what she told herself over and over again._

 _Lauren self-consciously covered the ring with her other hand. "Habit, I suppose." She responded elusively._

 _Lucy pursed her lips and nodded. "Isn't hard to move on when you wear it. I would imagine."_

 _In truth, Lauren hated having to explain her relationship, or rather how she dealt with her divorce, to anyone. Considering, that it only affected her and no one else she felt no need to justify how she coped with her loss. Who would ever understand what it was like to lose Bo? No one. She could be at home curled up in bed for days on end crying but no she was living her life, so if wearing her ring, once in awhile, brought her comfort what was the harm? But no one understood that they only eyed her disapprovingly._

 _She ordered Lucy another drink, hoping that would spare her the continued conversation. It didn't._

 _Lucy sipped her drink slowly. "Divorce is like a death." She said kindly, but Lauren internally rolled her eyes. "But you have to deal with the grief, properly and move on."_

 _Lauren thought this meeting was about work, but somehow it had turned into an intervention about her personal life._

" _I work too much for a relationship. This." She pointed to her ring. "Keeps people away."_

 _Lucy's chastising expression softened to one of empathy. "Of course." She pulled her glasses off and laid them on the table. "I have a new house in the Hamptons, why don't you take a vacation and come see it."_

 _Admittedly, Lauren needed a vacation, but if she were to take time off she'd go visit her daughter not spend more time with a work colleague._

" _I'm working on too many important projects, at this time, to take a holiday." She said, flipping through the packet of information in front of her, wishing they could discuss work and not her private business._

 _Lucy regarded her warily. "Maybe another time."_

XXXX

"Good grief, can't you trust anyone is this world?" Ethan was livid after Bo told him what was going on. He ripped forcefully through his briefcase and quickly found the bug hidden inside. "I'll kill him."

"Now, now. Your lawyer certainly didn't hear you say that." Jasmine said strolling into the room. She rubbed his back slowly. "What's wrong cupcake?"

He glared at her and smashed the device against the kitchen counter. "Rat." He hissed.

She stepped back with her hand over her chest. "This family has anger issues. You're all so dramatic." She shook her head reproachfully.

"Jasmine, what are our options here," Bo said at last, wanting to move things along.

Jasmine tapped her fingers on the marble counter-top. She stopped and leaned down examining it. "This is very expensive." She looked up at Bo. "Your wife has great taste." She brushed her fingers over it longingly. "Sometimes, I think what an odd pair you two are. I mean, no offense Bo, but Lauren seems out of your league." She darted her eyes around the apartment. "How on earth did you capture that woman?" She looked back at Bo. "Must be the sex."

Bo rolled her eyes. "HaHa. I'm not paying you to insult me."

Jasmine gave her a wicked smile. "I toss that in for free." She winked. "Where is the smoldering Dr. Lewis?"

"Please, don't get sidetracked." Bo sighed deeply and her eyes were filled with annoyance. "I think she's at work," She added and glared at Jasmine, silently urging her to get on with it.

"Legally?" Jasmine said finally turning serious. "I would need to know what evidence she has first."

Ethan pointed at the broken device on the counter. "Obviously, they were listening when we gave Mac the treatment."

"They would need to prove that all the voices on the recording belong to who they say, which can be a difficult thing to prove. And I could very effectively ripped through that type of evidence, so that it's not admissible."

Bo frowned. "But Mac was given the drug can't they test her?"

"Considering she a minor, without sufficient evidence, they would need her father's consent, which I'm assuming he wouldn't agree to."

"What about mom's serum?"

"As that's not a criminal matter, Lucy could go to the board members, and they could demand that Lauren turn over all the information."

Bo turned to Ethan. "She said it's not her serum. It's something else."

Jasmine cleared her throat. "Now I'm no longer speaking as your lawyer, but as a family friend." She rubbed her fingers up and down Bo's arm. "Get the information back yourself. I'm sure you could come up with some way to persuade her."

Bo frowned and moved her arm away for Jasmine.

XXXX

As soon as Lucy answered the door, Lauren swept past her into the apartment. She settled on the sofa, crossing her legs her eyes fixed on Lucy.

"Well, I see Bo's told you everything." Lucy crossed her arms over her chest and stood stiff.

"You're going to give me everything you have and buy me out," Lauren said firmly and tilted her head, squinting at Lucy with harsh eyes.

Lucy scoffed. "Why would I do that?"

"You don't have what you think you have, actually, you have nothing at all." Lauren responded straightforwardly.

"I have voice recordings and information off Ethan's computer, plus your serum."

Lauren laughed. "You don't have my serum like I said you have nothing."

Relaxing her arms and placing her hands on her hips, Lucy said. "I'm not giving over the information without getting something in return."

"I never said you get nothing."

Lucy stared blankly, and Lauren strolled over to her. "But first I need whatever information you have," Lauren whispered in her ear.

"Nice try, Lauren." She stepped determinately back from her. "You have three days to agree to the weekend, or I give this information to the board and you lose everything, maybe even your freedom."

"No, Lucy. You have 24 hours to give me the information you have, or you get nothing." Lauren snapped back, conveying a stern warning in her words.

They glared at each other, not moving or speaking for several prolonged seconds.

Lucy opened her mouth, but Lauren's sharp eyes stopped her. "You never said what I get." She finally said.

Lauren turned to leave. "Use your imagination." She said coolly and left the apartment without looking back.

 _XXXX_

 _2 days before Lauren left for Charlotte's wedding._

" _Charlotte's a little young to be getting married isn't she," Lucy asked watching Lauren pack up a few work supplies for the trip._

 _Lauren shrugged distractedly. "She's always wanted to be married, even at a young age, she talked about her wedding. Plus, Jon is a great match for her, he calms her." She paused. "I've found, in my life, that's opposites really do attract." She was, of course, thinking about her and Bo, and although they were different their differences complimented each other, and it just worked._

 _Lucy scoffed. "I don't know. I think it's better to find someone that has similar interests and personalities." She said looking Lauren up and down. Lauren was only half paying attention to her and didn't register her words and looks._

 _Lauren was nervous about seeing Bo, for a week. Maybe they would argue, maybe they would get along. Truthfully, she didn't know which made her more anxious. One thing, she knew was that she missed Bo, not just as her wife or the mother of her children, but as her best friend. She hoped they could get to a place where they could be friends, at the very least._

" _Seeing your ex-wife should be interesting." Lucy pulled Lauren from her thoughts. Lucy was uneasy about Lauren spending time with Bo. She had been carefully working on Lauren for months, to get her to open up, so she could make the transition into a relationship with Lauren, romantically. But she knew Lauren was emotionally still tied to her ex and any process Lucy had made could be lost._

" _I think I can handle it." Lauren answered vaguely. But she knew it would be difficult to see Bo. No one disarmed and challenged her like Bo, but she needed to protect herself from further heartache when it came to their relationship. Even after five years, the pain of their separation was as fresh as the day she left._

" _I hope so," Lucy said her eyes fixed on Lauren with yearning._

XXXX

Charlotte lifted her head off the table and squinted her teary eyes at the person who just entered the Dal. The light from outside was almost too much for her, so she buried her head in her arms again. "What?" She mumbled to Dyson and Mark.

They exchanged glances and sat next to her. "Is running this bar that bad?" Dyson asked.

Charlotte snorted through sobs. "I'm having triplets!" She exclaimed and Dyson and Mark jumped slightly at her raised voice.

"That's wonderful," Dyson said and gained a fierce glare from Charlotte and nothing else.

Mark smirked down at her. "So, how are things going here?"

"Triplets!" She shrieked. "I can't think about this stupid bar, while I'm pregnant with three babies! It's not fair to be stuck here."

"Hey, the Dal means a lot to a lot of Fae, don't call it stupid." Dyson chastised with a frown.

Charlotte rolled her eyes. "Then, why don't you run it?" She sneered in response.

Dyson hesitated. "I think you should run it. It would be good for you to do something for someone else for a change."

"What does that mean?!" She glared at him with her face wrinkled in confusion.

Dyson rose from his chair. "It's time to grow up, Charlotte. Everyone has to grow up sometime." He paused. "Some of us just take longer than others. But I know you can do it."

"If I wanted a lecture, I'd call my mom. She's good at that." She huffed. "Actually, both my moms recently."

Dyson and Mark reached the door, and Dyson turned back. "You really don't know how lucky you are to have your moms, do you?"

When she didn't answer, they left.

XXXX

It wasn't the first time Lauren had to be pulled from her thoughts at work; sometimes her mind worked so quickly she lost track of time, a lot of time. It was, however, the first time she couldn't remember where her mind had drifted to, what she was thinking about. To many things were happening at once, she was getting lost thinking about it all.

She rubbed her eyes trying to settle her mind. "I'm sorry what?" She asked her receptionist.

"Mac. Your next appointment is here." The receptionist answered cautiously.

This dragged Lauren from her office to the lab, and she was having trouble adjusting her mind to the task at hand, maybe the stress was starting to get to her.

Fully aware of her surroundings, now, Lauren darted her eyes around her lab and settled on the location of the missing vial. The vial Lucy had was an early version of the cure she was working on. It hadn't worked, so essentially what they had was useless.

She shook her head and stepped back to the bed, to wait for Mac. She needed good news. She needed this treatment to be working. But suddenly she realized that Mac should probably come by the apartment for check-ups, not the lab. She felt uneasy in her own lab now, and that wasn't a feeling she liked. Her lab was always her sanctuary, as far back as her time with the Light Fae. Her lab was always a comfort to her, but this lab was tainted by the theft.

Mac was smiling and energetic when she entered the room. "Lauren, I have so much energy. I feel great." She said happily.

Lauren gestured to the bed. "I need a small blood sample to see if the treatment is working."

Mac hopped onto the bed quickly. "I know. But I really think it's working!" She said with bright eyes. Lauren noted that she did look better, her face was less washed out then the last time she'd been in the lab.

"I hope you're right." Lauren gently inserted the needle to draw the blood.

"How long until you know if it's working?" Mac asked bobbing her legs up and down rapidly.

"Not long," Lauren answered preparing a blood slide.

They sat in silence for a few minutes, while Lauren worked.

"Thank you, for everything, Lauren," Mac said at last.

Lauren turned her attention away from her work and smiled at Mac. "Your family, Mac. We look out for each other." Lines of worry marked her face as she said it.

After spending more time looking over the blood sample, Lauren walked over to Mac, to take her check her vitals. Her frown melted into a smile. "Looks good. It seems to be working." She said letting a breath of relief.

Mac jumped off the bed and threw her arms around Lauren, and she squeezed back tightly. When they broke apart, Mac tilted back and looked up at Lauren fondly. Lauren bit back a reminder that this wasn't a cure but treatment. She didn't want to ruin this moment for Mac by casting a dark shadow over the situation.

They chatted for a few more minutes then Mac gathered up her things to get back to school and Lauren paced around the lab.

Finally, arriving right on time Gus entered the lab. They greeted each other, and he took a seat. "What's on the agenda for today?" He said cheerfully.

She eyed him seriously and sat across from him. "Gus, I need you to be honest with me."

He froze and stared at her blankly. "Of course." He pushed as much innocence into his voice as possible.

"I have a vial, of a new research project I'm working on, missing. What do you know about it?" She asked curtly.

He shifted nervously under her severe scrutiny. "I know nothing about it." He lied.

"Nonetheless, as my assistant it's your responsibility and, therefore, I'm going to have to let you go."

He crossed his arms and slouched back far into the chair. "That's not fair Dr. Lewis, I don't even have access to your lab. How can I be responsible?"

She carefully reached into her bag and tossed an envelope at him. "That's your severance package." She rose from her chair. "I think you'll find it sufficient." Her tone turned hard, almost threatening. "It's enough for you to go off and start a new life." She paused. "Far away from here." She narrowed her gaze on him. "Do we understand each other, Gus?"

He peeked into the envelope, and his eyes widened, he gulped. "Yes, Dr. Lewis." He sprung to his feet. "This is very generous and more than enough for me to settle into my new life."

She slipped off her lab coat and hung it on a hook. "Now, should you contact me or my son again…" She turned to face him. "I will have to deal with your dismissal in a more creative way. Is that clear?"

He clutched the packet in his arms and nodded, as he did two armed guards entered the lab.

"Make sure Gus leaves this building immediately." She ordered the guards, and they gave a small nod of understanding. "He will also need a ride to the airport. No stops. From here to the airport."

One of the guards slipped his hand under Gus' arm and ushered him from the lab.

Lauren decided to go home early and spend some time with her wife.

XXXX

"You're home early," Bo said when Lauren entered the apartment.

A hint of a smile glinted on Lauren's lips. "Long day. I wanted to see you." She sat the bag down and started pulling out the food.

"I'm not complaining." Bo walked over to her with a full grin and kissed her. "How's Mac." She asked when they separated. She stepped back and opened a bottle of wine as Lauren made their plates.

They moved the kitchen table and Lauren explained about Mac and getting rid of Gus. She noticed, in surprise, Bo staring back at her with broad eyes. "What?" She asked taking a bite of her salad.

"What guarantees do we have that Gus will stay gone?" Bo asked her face lined with worry.

Lauren shrugged, refilling her glass with wine. "If he does return we'll take care of it, but it won't matter. We'll have all the information back by then." She sipped her drink slowly watching Bo's expressions.

Bo felt uneasy about Lauren's confidence, as far as, she could tell things might not be that easily fixed.

Blinking, in confusion, Lauren stared intently at Bo. "Everything will be fine." She reassured.

They finished their dinner and together put the dishes away. Bo pursed her lips together to hold back a smile. It was these little domestic things that she never realized how much she missed. Simple, normal married things were so comforting and filled her with happiness, oddly enough.

After everything was put away, Lauren drew Bo into another kiss, and quickly all Bo's worries about Lucy moved to the background and nothing else mattered but the two of them. Bo savored the feel of Lauren's lips as they alternated between gentle and fierce kisses. She licked her lips tasting the wine from Lauren's tongue.

A smile crept over Lauren's mouth, and she eagerly moved them to the bedroom. Bo slowly unbuttoned Lauren shirt and gazed into her eyes. There was a softness and vulnerability in them, that Bo rarely saw these days, and it pulled her back to a time when they were younger, and their relationship was new. She captured Lauren's lips ravenously and laid her on the bed.

Hours later, tired, sweaty, peaceful and wrapped together they talked about everything but Lucy and the looming threat over them.

* * *

 **AN**

 **I hope it doesn't feel like I'm dragging out this story, but I thought it would end with them remarrying so I'm still trying to feel my way through the plots and decide on a direction to end with.**

 **But anyway, thanks again for reading :)**


	21. Chapter 21

"I'm going to be late if I'm not careful. If..," Lauren stopped and sighed contently as Bo kissed her neck, and her hands roamed her body. "You keep doing that I'll never leave." She finished before Bo brought their lips together.

"So," Bo answered against her lips. "You're the boss, be late."

Lauren chuckled. "I have various early morning meetings that I have to attend."

Bo drew back. "Ok. I understand." She wiped a smudge of makeup off Lauren's cheek. "Go to work."

Lauren checked her appearance in the mirror, smoothing out her dark gray suit. "I told Lucy to buy me out." She said, remembering she never told Bo about that. She watched Bo's expression through the reflection of the mirror. "I just want to start a new company away from all this, at home. So, we can be with Charlotte and the babies." She paused. "And Dyson and Mark."

"Really?" Bo's face was creased in surprise. She thought Lauren liked living in New York.

Lauren nodded. "We need to be with Charlotte and the babies." She paused and turned to face Bo, with a solemn face. "I feel so much guilt about my relationship with Charlotte. Maybe," She swallowed and dropped her eyes to her feet. "I didn't put enough effort into that relationship. I wonder if I focused too much on Ethan and Mac and let my relationship with my daughter fall by the wayside."

Bo wrapped her arms around Lauren and shook her head. "Lauren, no, you were-are a great mother. Relationships are tricky. Charlie is a tough one. She lives in her own little world, sometimes, and she doesn't always see what others do for her. Or how much they care about her."

"But I'm the parent. It's my responsibility to fix the mistakes of the past."

"Charlotte's an adult now. It's also her responsibility."

"Ok." Lauren rubbed her palms into her eyes to relieve a stress headache that was approaching. "But I still want to go home."

They moved into the kitchen and Lauren made coffee.

"What about Mac?" Bo asked sitting at the kitchen island watching Lauren.

"We could talk to her father about her staying with us until this cure is found." She sipped the coffee carefully. "I know everyone would like to spend some time with her…in case…" She let the sentence drifted off unfinished.

They sat in silence and Lauren made Bo a cup of coffee. She handed it her and Bo said. "I'm glad you didn't sell the house. Heck, if it were up to me it would've been sold years ago."

Lauren cupped her face "Bo you were hurt. I can understand not wanting to be there with the constant reminders of our marriage and raising our children. It would be difficult." She stroked her thumb over Bo's cheek. "I just want to go home to our house, have our entire family together."

"How will you get Lucy to agree? That woman's nuts."

"She'll agree," Lauren promised adamantly.

Bo frowned, she was skeptical that Lucy would agree, she seemed obsessed with Lauren, obviously, why else would she make such a ridiculous proposal.

Lauren broke Bo from her thoughts. "In a way, I'm happy this mess with Lucy happened. It made me realize I'm not happy here with this company. I need a fresh start, where I can work on what I want without worrying about board members, budget meetings, product development, and so on. This company got a lot bigger than I ever imagined it would." She rolled her eyes at all the things she had to deal with in a single day.

"Should we get Lucy a present or something, then?" Bo teased.

Lauren slipped on her jacket and kissed Bo. "Haha. I want to focus on my family, Mac's cure and my charity work, and only do the science I'm passionate about."

 _XXXX_

 _15 years earlier._

 _Ethan read his book intently, although, it was difficult through the chaotic noises on the bus. He pressed his fingers into his ears, hoping to muffle the sounds._

" _Charlotte you're so pretty." Someone behind him said loudly and he rolled his eyes when his sister answered. 'I know'._

" _Ethan is a cutie but Charlotte's beautiful." Someone else said, and he ignored them and didn't respond._

 _Someone flicked the back of his head, and he turned around to see Amber smiling at him. "I said you're a cutie."_

 _Ethan managed a smile and slunk back into his seat, holding his book over his face to cover his blush._

 _A few minutes passed and Ethan's head rose. He noticed a new girl standing awkwardly in front of everyone, not knowing where to sit. As she walked down the aisle, no one let her sit down. Scooting over and placing their bags in the empty space, Ethan heard Charlotte chuckle behind him._

 _Ethan frowned watching the girl. She was very tall and bulky with big, frizzy, untamed hair that didn't look brushed. Her clothes didn't fit right on her body. She looked like a mess, honestly._

 _A few kids got on the bus and pushed past her, knocking her to the ground. Charlotte and her friends snickered loudly in the back._

 _The girl pulled herself up and moved toward the back of the bus until she was standing by Ethan._

 _He smiled up at her and nodded to the empty space next to him. Her face lit up, and relief washed over it. She settled into the seat quickly._

 _The girl sat down and pulled out a book of her own and began reading. Ethan did the same._

XXXX

Jasmine wove through the crowded traffic, completely ignoring the speed limit.

"Do you want to slow down?" Bo asked, gripping her seat tightly. "We'll wreck with you driving like a maniac."

"This is New York. You have to drive aggressively." She said one hand on the wheel and one playing with her red hair.

"You can still go the speed limit." Bo snapped back. They should have taken a cab or borrowed one of Lauren's cars, but no Jasmine had insisted on driving, and Bo, against her better judgment, agreed.

Jasmine took another sharp turn and stopped in front of Lucy's apartment building. She checked her hair and makeup in the mirror and smirked at Bo. "You ready?" She grabbed the door handle. "I love this...it's so exciting."

Bo glared at her and got out of the car without saying a word.

After they knocked Lucy answered quickly and stood staring at them with wide eyes, not blinking once. They pushed passed her and walked confidently into the apartment. They stood side by side in front of her. She was still stunned, it took a few minutes, but she collected herself and faced them. "What are you doing here?" She barked, tapping her foot forcefully on the floor.

Jasmine sauntered forward, swinging her hips with brashness. She surveyed the room, with a sly smile. "I think this will do," At last, she pulled out a chair and sat quickly. Bo did the same sitting next to her. "Have a seat." She gestured to an empty chair for Lucy to sit. Curious, about what they were doing there, Lucy sat without arguing.

"Beautiful apartment you have here," Jasmine said watching Lucy fidget uncomfortably in front of her. "Not my taste, but I can see you spent a lot of money on it." She pursed her lips together. "Which I appreciate." She gave Bo a sideways look and pointed at her. "This one could learn a thing or two about putting some money into the décor." She shook her head. "Have you seen the Dal? Looks like it was decorated a hundred years ago by a blind Harpy."

Lucy snorted in aggravation. "Enough with the small talk." Her gaze narrowed on Bo. "Why are you here?"

Jasmine's sly smile held, and her expression turned spirited. "We're here to deliver Lauren, of course." She said and patted Lucy's knee.

Lucy's head jerk to Jasmine, and she slapped her hand away hard. Bo stayed quiet, she knew Jasmine always needed to put on a show before any real business could be done. But she was mindful of the time and would stop things if it went on too long.

Jasmine was delighted by Lucy's reaction, and she grinned at her. "I'm just kidding. Wouldn't that be something? Us here delivering Lauren to you." She arched her eyebrow at Lucy. "You wish." She turned to Bo. "This one is so desperate for your wife. Isn't that weird? I mean I get the allure but not the extremes. It's not like Lauren's vag-"

"Don't mock me!" Lucy interrupted with a high-pitched voice. "Tell me why you're here." She demanded her face was turning red from rage and annoyance.

"Enough with games, Jasmine. Get on with it." Bo gave Jasmine a warning look.

"Fine." Jasmine sighed deeply. "You never let me have any fun." She pouted, briefly, then reached into her purse pulling out a thick contract. "This is the paperwork to buy Lauren out. As you can see, it's very fair." She turned to Bo. "A lot less than I would have asked for." She looked back to Lucy. "But we're looking for a quick sale here." She winked amusedly at her.

Lucy crossed her arms and shook her head. "No way. I'm not signing anything. Not without getting my weekend first."

Bo tilted her head into Lucy's line of sight. Her deep brown eyes changed to a burning blue, as a pointed warning, and she didn't say anything, she didn't need to.

That caught Lucy off guard, but she tried to stay poised. "Threaten me all you want. I'm not doing it." She stared back at Bo challenging her with her eyes.

Jasmine's shrewd grin returned, and she stood up and walked away. "I'm no longer here as a lawyer. For the record, I'm only a friend now."

Bo jerked Lucy forward gripping her hand tight. Heat and craving coursed through Lucy's body, and she suddenly had the desire to do whatever Bo asked of her, she was almost in a trance. Her earlier resistance crumpled.

Bo's voice dropped to a sultry tone. "Sign the papers, Lucy." She demanded stroking her fingers over Lucy's hand, sending out more waves of persuasion. Lucy unable to stop herself took the pen from Jasmine and signed every document.

When she was done her head, momentarily, cleared. "That's not right using your succubus powers on me." She said with a disgusted expression.

Bo sent another swell through her body. "We're not done. Give us all the information you have, about my wife, her serum, Mac." She squeezed Lucy's hand hard, digging her fingernails into her flesh. "Now."

As if walking in a daze Lucy obeyed and, within a few minutes, produced all the information. She gently sat it in front of Bo.

"This better be all of it," Bo said aggressively, flipping through the items unimpressed, clearly there had been a lot posturing from Lucy about what she had.

Lucy nodded weakly, and Jasmine sat back down and pulled out another paper. "This is your signed agreement to stay away from all members of the Lewis-Dennis family. And a non-disclosure agreement to never speak about these events or the information you illegally obtained." She slid the papers across the table to Lucy.

Lucy scowled and signed the papers without needing another push from Bo. She thrust the signed papers back at Jasmine and looked at Bo with tears in her eyes. "All I wanted was a chance to prove to Lauren that I love her and that she could love me back."

Bo felt sorry for her, at that moment. How sad and lonely must a person be to go to such extremes for one person, a person that doesn't want them at all? As pathetic as it was it was still sad in a way.

Despite feeling, a little sad for her, Bo really considered slapping her across the face. But instead, she leaned down and furiously stared at Lucy, her voice dripping with revulsion. "Lucy, whatever you feel for my wife it isn't love. Love is about thinking about the other person, not just yourself. And sometimes making decisions that might break your own heart, but doing it anyway, because it's what's best for them. What you feel is selfish, and it's not about Lauren or love. It's about you and nothing else. Come to terms with that or don't, I don't care. But if you come near my wife or family again I will kill you. Understand this isn't an idle threat but a promise."

As Jasmine and Bo walked toward the door of the apartment, Jasmine whispered, "That was hot," into Bo's ear.

Lucy's moping expression hardened, and she gave the closing door a fierce look. If Bo could use her powers on her, then fair was fair, she'd fight force with force. All she wanted was one weekend, one weekend and they couldn't give her that, so now she wanted nothing more than to see Lauren bleed, make her pay for this humiliation.

And she knew exactly who to call.

 _XXXX_

 _10 years earlier._

 _Charlotte ran her fingers through Brooke's frizzy hair, as she sat nervously looking at Ethan. "Let me give you a makeover. You'd be so pretty with your hair done up and a little color on your lips." Charlotte said to her. "Just a little touch up here and there makes a lot of difference."_

 _After Ethan had offered his seat to Brooke, they had become best friends, spending almost every day together, and he was very protective of her._

" _Leave her alone, Charlie," Ethan said noticing the expression on Brooke's face. "She doesn't want you messing with her hair and face."_

 _Charlotte put her hands on her hips and tossed her dark brown hair dismissively. "Everyone likes to look good, Ethan." She leaned down and peered into Brooke's eyes. "Do you want me to give you a makeover? It'll be fun."_

 _Brooke shrugged. "Sure. I guess."_

 _Charlotte clapped her hands together and skipped off to her room to get her stuff. She returned with a smile. She rummaged through her makeup bag looking for the right color for Brooke. "Perfect." She held up a little brown pencil and softly took her face and started applying the makeup._

 _Several minutes later, she held up a mirror for Brooke to look at herself. "See. A little color is all you need. Simple."_

 _To Ethan's surprise, Brooke's face lit up, and she smiled back at Charlotte._

" _Do you want me to do your hair now?" Charlotte asked, brushing a few frizzy strands of hair from Brooke's face._

 _Brooke shook her head. "No. I like my hair."_

" _Ok. Well, just so that you know I think you'd look beautiful with some bangs or maybe some soft highlights."_

 _Ethan got up and took Brooke's hand, to save her from Charlotte, "We're going to be late for our movie."_

" _Thanks, Charlotte," Brooke yelled over her shoulder as Ethan ushered her out the house._

" _Sorry about that," Ethan said, walking beside Brooke._

" _It's ok."_

 _As they walked the down street toward the movie theater, a group of kids from school walked a few paces in front of them. They laughed at Brooke when they passed by and shouted: "You still look like a troll. Makeup or not!"_

 _Brooke looked at Ethan, with a wounded expression. He stared straight ahead, with a clenched jaw._

" _Put lipstick on a pig and it's still a pig." One of the boys yelled out, laughing at his own joke rowdily._

" _That's it." Ethan walked quickly to the group. "What did you say?" He asked shoving the large boy hard._

 _He laughed in Ethan's face taunting him. "Your girlfriend looks like a troll!"_

 _Ethan sprang forward and swung his fists, hitting him in the face with all his strength. The boy fell back onto the street, hard, and with a shocked expression and holding his bleeding mouth, the boy said. "Geez, Ethan. Relax."_

" _Leave my friend alone," Ethan said forcefully, kicking at the boy's leg. Brooke took Ethan's hand and led him away from the boy, before the situation turned into a bigger fight._

XXXX

Ethan was fuming as he paced back and forth, in front of Lauren, mumbling to himself and running his fingers through his hair.

Lauren paused, put down her paperwork and studied him. She was struck by how much his mannerism matched Bo, at that moment. Ethan never looked more like Bo than he did when he was angry.

She saw a transformation in his face that turned from angry to furious. "Really, ma? You paid Gus off? Gave him money for what he did." He shook his head appalled. "That worm shouldn't have gotten anything."

"What would you have liked me to do? Not every problem can be solved by force." Lauren said, bringing up a chair to sit in, her eyes still watching him closely.

"Fire him! Threaten him. Not give him money." Rage filled him and clouded his mind. "Charlotte's right you think money solves everything." He crossed his arms and turned away from her.

"That's not fair and it's certainly not true. I handled it the way I thought was best." She said keeping her tone as soft and calm as she could.

Ethan flipped around and gave his mother a sharp look. "It's a family matter. You should have discussed it with us first!"

"Calm down. Gus was my employee, and this is my company." Lauren was starting to match Ethan's anger. For him to insinuate that she didn't have the family's best interest in mind, really upset her.

"He bugged my briefcase. He was my roommate, it affects me too." He was practically shouting now.

"And I took care of it."

He scoffed. "The only way you know how. Money."

Lauren considered this for a second and softened her tone, trying to defuse the situation and his anger. "I'm sorry if this upsets you." He rolled his eyes, and her temper flared again. "But, like I said, I did what I thought was best." She paused and used a gentle tone again. "I have too much on my plate to put much thought into Gus. He's gone that's all the matters."

Ethan bit his lip to hold back another heated retort, swallowing all the things he wanted to say about Gus, Lucy, the whole situation, he threw up his hands and left the lab.

Back in his office, he sat down at his computer. Within a minute, he had the information he was looking for, Gus and his flight information. He knew where he was now. He rose quickly and left the office, with only one thought: he was going to show Gus he couldn't get away with what he'd done.

 _XXXX_

 _6 years earlier._

 _Ethan watched as Bo took down some notes for a case she was working on. He beamed at her. "Let me go with you on a case. I'm old enough." He said persuasively._

" _No way. Your mom would kill me." Bo answered promptly. "Are you trying to get me in trouble?" She paused and looked away from him. "I'm already in enough trouble with her." She muttered to herself._

" _Come on." He urged. "I can help."_

 _Bo gave him a sympathetic smile and patted his hand. "I'm sure you could, but I can't put you in danger."_

 _He scoffed and crossed his arms. "But it's ok for you to be in danger all the time?"_

" _I don't need that from you. I get it enough from my wife." She said curtly, turning her attention back to her work._

" _Fine. Keep treating me like a child. I just want to help." He got quickly and left the room._

 _Bo contemplated going after him but decided to keep working on her case instead._

XXXX

"We're going home," Bo said merrily serving Lauren and Mac their food, her smile not leaving her face.

Mac laughed. "I can't believe the craziness of this family." She darted her eyes around the kitchen. "Where's Ethan?"

Lauren shifted in her chair and looked uneasily at Bo. "He's mad at me."

A moment of silence passed, and Mac changed the subject. "When are we going home? I'm super excited to see Charlie. I can't wait for those little babies to be born."

"Soon," Lauren answered. "I have a few things to work out first."

Mac looked warily at Bo and Lauren, held in a breath and asked. "About my cure?"

Bo couldn't help but be alarmed at the noticeable tension she saw in her wife. There was always tension in her, these days, but it seemed to be getting worse. Just now, she looked stiff and distraught. Bo's heart sank, at the stress Lauren felt. She had thought taking care of the Lucy problem would have allowed her to relax, even if only a little, but based on Lauren's appearance that wasn't the case.

Lauren's gaze settled on Mac and her face softened. "No. I can work on that anywhere. A few things with the buyout still need to be worked out."

A smile lit up Mac's face, as she made a decision. "Lauren, I want you to turn me Fae." She announced with confidence and conviction.

"Really?" Bo and Lauren asked, in unison, both shocked.

"Mac, don't make any rash decisions that will affect the rest of your life. There's still time to find a cure." Lauren urged, taking Mac's hand and squeezing hard.

Mac danced her eyes back and forth between them. "I've always felt more connected to the Fae world than the human world. And I won't be losing my humanity. I'll be like Bo, a Fae with a human heart." She gave a bright, shining smile.

Bo and Lauren exchanged a loaded glance. Silence fell over the table, as each was pondering the situation from their own angle.

"That's not an easy process. It could take months before I could do something like that." Lauren finally said after considering the situation for several minutes.

"I understand," Mac said earnestly. "But will you think about it, Lauren. Please?"

Lauren relaxed her expression and nodded. "Of course, I will."

XXXXX

"Can you believe that?"

Lauren was startled by Bo's voice as she walked into the bedroom later that evening. She was curled up on the bed reading, but her mind was too full of everything that was happening to really focus on it.

"Babe?" Bo asked when Lauren didn't answer.

"I'm very surprised," Lauren answered and rubbed her hands down her face.

Bo climbed into bed and stretched her body out beside her. "Why are you so stressed out?" She kissed her shoulder after asking.

"I just want to go home." She peered up at Bo over her shoulder. "Let's go home tomorrow."

Bo took her middle finger and trailed it down Lauren's arm. "Lauren, would you like me to help you relax?" She sent a tease of a warm pulse into Lauren's body. "How does that feel?" She lightly brushed her fingers down Lauren's cheekbone hitting her with another wave.

"Hmm. That's quite lovely, thank you." Lauren sighed blissfully.

Bo eased Lauren on her back and hovered over her. Her lips traveled down Lauren's collarbone, her hand lifting Lauren's shirt. Lauren closed her eyes and put her arms over her head and let Bo help her unwind.

A moment later, Lauren's eyes opened and held onto Bo's, as she leaned over her, their matched expressions equal parts affection and lust. Bo tilted forward but stopped promptly when a small drop of blood fell from Lauren's nose. "Lauren, you're bleeding."

Lauren brought her fingers to her nose and examined the blood. "Oh, I'm sorry about that."

"Don't apologize for bleeding." She sat straight up and studied Lauren's face. "Are you ok?"

"Yeah, I feel fine," Lauren said and got up quickly to wash off the blood. Bo's body slumped as she watched her go. Her expression was heavy and concerned, her chest tight, as she waited for her wife to return to bed.

* * *

 **AN**

 **Lucy knows about the Fae (that was revealed several chapters ago when Lauren and Lucy talked about Bo being a succubus, I can't remember the chapter number). I figured someone with a lot of money and connections would probably have come across the Fae before.**

 **Next update, Ethan chases Gus down and Bo, Lauren and Mac return home.**

 **Any interest in a Lucy backstory?**

 **Thanks for reading!**


	22. Chapter 22

Bo and Lauren curled up together on the backyard swing staring at the scenery. It was remarkably colorful, filled with flowers, trees, and bright green plants. Bo swung her arm around Lauren's shoulder, and Lauren rested her head in the curve of Bo's neck.

"This is what my apartment in New York didn't have, this space, this view, that fresh air." She inhaled deeply taking in the clean, cool air around them.

"I love this house. It's so much more comfortable than the dusty, dark apartment under the Dal."

Lauren kissed her hand. "The greatest memories of my life were made in this house and I'm excited to make more."

Bliss threatened to overwhelm Bo, as she saw their future together, where the two of them could accomplish anything, create new happy memories, in their home together with their family. She allowed herself, for a moment, to forget everything they were facing with Mac. For now, there was only the two of them and the future before them.

"I remember the twins playing on the swings over there," Lauren gestured out into the yard. "The tents we put out, so we could sleep under the stars, over there," She pointed in the other direction.

"Making love on a blanket over there," Bo added, biting her bottom lip and waving her hand into the yard.

"We should build a tree house for the triplets. Well, they wouldn't be able to use it for awhile but you know for later." Lauren paused and met Bo's eyes. "I'm thinking about buying the neighbor's house so we can expand. With the babies coming, we could use more space."

"Why not the whole street," Bo teased, rubbing her hand up and down Lauren's leg.

"Hmm, we could. I'll think about it. Next week, I'm going to start looking at some buildings to buy. I'd like to open a new lab, maybe a free clinic or two."

Lauren turned to the side and coughed jaggedly for in a few seconds. She cleared her throat and smiled at Bo after she was done.

Bo studied her carefully and exhaled. "How are you feeling?"

"Fine," Lauren muttered, clearing her throat again and added, "I feel fine, I just had a itch in my throat."

With great hesitancy, Bo asked, "Lauren, you're not keeping things from me to protect me, are you?"

"No," Lauren answered in exasperation. "Really?" She held back a barrage of emotions and responses that were on the verge of erupting at the question. Ever since her argument with Ethan she was on edge about being questioned by her family.

"Let's be fair here, it wouldn't be the first time you've kept something to yourself about yourself."

Lauren focused on Bo, growing more solemn. "One thing I'm really getting tired of is my family doubting me. I only ever have all your best interests at heart, no matter what I do."

Bo took her time before responding, "Sounds like you're deflecting my question."

"I'm healthy and if I weren't, I'd tell you immediately. You honestly believe I would keep something as important as my health from you?" She glanced over at Bo on the brink of tears before she swerved her eyes away.

Bo closed her eyes and sank her head into Lauren's body. "I don't want to argue. I just want to know you're ok." A hint of anxiety still plagued her about her wife's health. "I don't doubt you. I'm sorry if it came off that way. I just worry about you."

"And I told you I was fine," Lauren reassured with a sigh, a flash crossed Lauren's features, a stirring of an old and new hurt.

Bo lifted her head to met Lauren's eyes, sometimes Bo could read all Lauren's emotions through her eyes, but, for an unknown reason, she couldn't at that moment. The most noticeable thing she could perceive was weariness.

"You've been under a lot of stress for years. That's bound to wear your body down." Bo said in a low and soft voice. She only wanted Lauren to understand that she was concerned and she didn't want to argue, so she decided to be as gentle as possible.

Lauren gestured her arms wide into the air. "And, as you can see, I'm taking steps to eliminate some of those stresses. What more can I do?" She responded with an evident edge in her tone.

"Ok. Ok. I just…you may not realize it, but you're the center of this family. Our rock. We need you healthy and with us." Bo said with a smile that she hoped would smooth out the strain building between them.

Lauren shook her head. "No. We're the foundation. The both of us and as long as we hold, our family can face anything." She met Bo's smile finally, and after a few second dragged her gaze back to the yard.

They fell into silence, and Bo studied Lauren's features, as she looked out into the yard, fascinated by the known and unknown secrets she could read on her face. After so many years, Lauren was still a bit of an enigma to her, part of that alarmed her, and part of that thrilled her. The fact that her wife could still surprise her after so long was sort of astonishing.

 _XXXX_

 _Bo thought about how she felt more comfortable fighting the most dangerous Fae of the world than she did lying in a bed waiting to give birth. One thing that went against her nature, and instinct, was to be vulnerable and powerless in the hands of others. And she never felt more helpless than she did in this position. But Lauren, by her side, gently stroking her arm eased her nerves and brought her comfort. Lauren kept a keen eye on the doctors and nurses; her doctor mode was having a hard time turning off apparently._

" _Are you okay," Lauren asked, wiping some sweat off Bo's forehead, studying her face closely._

" _Yeah," Bo assured, which was true. Lauren leaned over and kissed her cheek. "But this feels really strange and a little uncomfortable." She admitted._

" _I'd imagine that's true for every woman in this situation," Lauren clasped their hands together and regarded Bo with tenderness._

 _Things moved quickly soon after, and Bo was a little dazed when Lauren grinned up at her. "It's Charlotte. She's first. Our baby girl." She said cheerfully. "Oh, Bo. She's beautiful." Her voice cracked at the end and she wiped away a tear from her cheek._

 _The doctor lifted the squirming baby up so Bo could get a quick look before she disappeared from her view. The nurse took the baby, checking her out and wiping her down. Lauren went over and watched closely as she did, but quickly came back to Bo's side before the next baby came._

 _Ethan arrived shortly after and they repeated the same process. Bo caught a quick glimpse of him before he was also rushed away by the nurse._

 _Admittedly, she didn't see much of either of the twins before they left her sight, but the images of her tiny babies would be etched in her memory forever. As well as the look on Lauren's face when she saw each baby for the first time. Those were memories that would never fade._

 _Lauren was bouncing around the room from Bo to the babies and back again. Bo knew she was keeping a critical eye on the nurses handling the babies, ready to step in if she needed to._

 _Lauren finally returned to Bo's side and took her hand, "They're perfect, Bo. A tad underweight, which is to be expected with twins, but healthy. I mean we'd love them no matter what, but they're beautiful, perfect…" Her attention turned to the crying babies, and she bounced back over to them. "Crying's good, normal." She assured Bo, smiling over her shoulder. "They have strong lungs by the sound of it; that's good."_

 _The nurse finally brought the twins over for Bo to get a proper look. They were tiny, with pink skin, fragile little arms, and legs, matching fuzzy brown hair. Bo gazed at her children with her wife by her side and sighed happily._

 _The bundle of nurses left leaving Bo, Lauren and the twins alone in the room for the first time. Bo brushed her fingers across both baby's cheeks. They were both unbelievably soft and small, and she was filled with a love and contentment she'd never felt before, it was a different type of love and very powerful._

 _Lauren picked baby Charlotte up gently and laid her across her chest with her hand on her back silently counting the baby's breath as she slept deeply._

 _Bo gazed at Ethan memorizing every feature of his face. After a few minutes, Lauren brought Charlotte over, and they traded twins and Bo took Charlotte and began to memorize her face as well._

" _They're amazing, Bo," Lauren whispered her lips against Ethan's soft, smooth forehead._

 _After that their lives were consumed for the next few weeks by nothing but caring for the twins, and they couldn't be happier about it._

XXXX

Charlotte gave her parents an aggravated look when she entered the house. "Why am I here?" She asked shortly sinking into the comfy sofa in the living room. She glared at Lauren. "Ethan seems pretty mad at you. What did you do now?" She asked as bluntly as ever.

Lauren ignored the question. "Where is Ethan? I haven't talked to him in days."

"I have no idea. He said he would be gone for awhile." She shot Lauren an accusing look and rolled her eyes.

Bo and Mac entered the room and sat down next to Charlotte. Once they were all seated, they told her about Mac wanting to become Fae.

Charlotte looked surprised, "Wow, Mac, that's interesting. I recommend becoming a succubus. It's perfect…healing, lots of energy, strength." She patted Mac's leg. "All the most beautiful Fae are succubi. We're designed for flawlessness." She flipped her hair as she said it. "I can't think of anything better than being a succubus."

Mac's eyes widened, and she glanced at Bo, blushing. "Yeah," She tapped her foot nervously. "But there's other stuff to…it seems…"

"Yes, perfect." Charlotte cut in missing the point.

"What were you thinking?" Bo asked to shield Mac from the embarrassment of explaining why she didn't want to be a succubus to a clueless Charlotte.

"A shifter like Dyson and Mark. I love animals I feel connected to them. I think it fits."

Charlotte's jaw dropped, shaking her head in disapproval. "A shifter! Ew. Give some thought to joining the succubi clan."

Bo gave her a warning look. "Charlotte stop. It's not your decision."

Charlotte looked on the brink of stomping her feet in a fit. "I'm just giving my opinion, geez." She crossed her arms and glared at Bo in a dramatic huff.

Mac smiled at her. "It's ok, Charlie. I know you mean well, but I really, really think a shifter is perfect for me."

Charlotte continued sulking in the chair, and Lauren spoke. "Mac, please understand that there are no guarantees this will work or cure you. This process has never been tested long term. Only one human was ever been turned, and he didn't live long enough to supply any data for the longevity of it."

"I know. But if I'm going to die, I want to live out my remaining life as Fae." Mac said, with surprisingly no hint of sadness in her voice.

All their eyes turned to Mac. A heavy tension hung in the air at that statement. Bo adjusted uncomfortably in her chair.

To break the tension, Lauren spoke again. "I'm going to continue to work with Bo's blood. Maybe we can get you healthy first before the transition. That would make me feel more comfortable about everything."

Charlotte poked Mac's shoulder, out of her pouting mood. "What do you want to shift into? Hopefully not a wolf." She wrinkled her nose. "They're a little gruff and somewhat smelly."

Mac laughed off the last proclamation. "Some kind of feline. I don't know. I need to give it more thought."

"I'd want to be an eagle or something with wings," Charlotte said. "I mean if I couldn't be a beautiful, sultry succubus that is, a succubus is my first choice, but an eagle would be fun."

Charlotte and Mac continued to chat about different types of animals to shift into, and Bo squeezed Lauren's hand as they sat silently listening to the conversation.

After an hour, they sat around the kitchen table eating their food with delight. Charlotte whined about the Dal to Bo. Peppering her with questions and not so subtle hints about her not working there anymore now that Bo was back home. And Mac and Lauren chatted a bit about various topics.

"I'm sorry we had to take you out of your school. I know how much you liked it." Lauren said when the subject moved to Mac's education.

"No, it's ok. I like being with all of you, so much more."

"Well, let's sit down and look at the schools around here. There are some good ones, I think."

Lauren's attention turned to Charlotte when she heard her sigh loudly at Bo.

"Why should I keep working there now that you're back? I'm pregnant I shouldn't be on my feet all day." Charlotte said not hiding her displeasure.

Bo smirked at her daughter's dramatics. "Charlotte, you're at the beginning of your pregnancy you'll be fine doing a little work."

Charlotte rolled her eyes and crossed her arms. "I don't want to work there. Being around a bunch of drunks, no thanks."

"I need a new assistant. You could work with me." Lauren offered cutting into the conversation abruptly, her tone hopeful.

Charlotte darted her eyes back and forth between her parents. "What would I have to do?"

"Mostly, answering phone calls, emails, assisting me with different projects and such. I'm looking for a building to buy you could help me with that." Lauren said and her face was lined with eagerness.

Charlotte sat considering her options, she hated working at the Dal, but being ordered around by her mother didn't sound very appealing either. "Well, I can do it for a few months, I suppose."

Lauren's face lit up, "Perfect, excellent."

 _XXXXX_

 _Bo sat in the sand and watched as Charlotte did cartwheels on the beach in front of her. Charlotte teased Ethan when he tried to copy her but fell instead._

 _Bo turned her attention to the water and was caught up watching the waves dance over the water._

 _Lauren rested on her stomach beside her, and Bo ran her fingers up and down Lauren's spine, and under her bikini top. Lauren swatted her hand away when she tugged at the string. "What?" Bo asked with feigned innocence. She rubbed her fingers under the bikini string. Lauren rolled onto her back, and Bo hovered over her capturing her lips in a kiss._

 _Ethan crept up and tossed some sand on them. "You two are always kissing." His hands were on his hips as he watched his parent's embrace._

 _Bo waved her hand at him and he giggled running back to Charlotte and Bo continued the kiss. "We should come back later," Bo whispered into Lauren's mouth. "We could have some fun together...alone"_

 _Lauren chuckled, "I don't know. Sex in the sand sounds a little uncomfortable and unsanitary."_

" _Come on, it'll be romantic, under the stars in front of ocean." Bo said between kisses._

 _Abruptly, Charlotte plopped down next to them, her face and hair coated with sweat._

 _Bo eased off Lauren and regarded Charlotte with a smile. "Are you having a fun vacation?"_

 _Charlotte nodded with enthusiasm, just as Ethan strolled up with a bucket full of water and dumped it on her head. He ran away laughing merrily._

" _Ethan!" Charlotte yelled springing to her feet to chase after him._

 _Lauren reached out and tangled their fingers together, and they watched as the twins ran belong the beach chasing each other. "We're coming back later," Bo whispered into her ear._

XXXX

Ethan sat at the bar in the hotel, waiting. He swirled his drink and gazed at it impatiently.

"Ethan!" Brooke called out and threw her arms around his shoulders. Ethan twirled around in his chair and stood. He wrapped Brooke into his arms and lifted her off the ground. After a few seconds, he set her back down.

"You're late." He said, his face cracking into a lighthearted grin.

Brooke lightly nudged his shoulder with her fist. "I'm sorry. I was on a trip. My skills are very in demand these days."

Ethan beamed and took his seat again, and Brooke followed. "Who do you need to be tracked?" She asked after ordering a drink from the bartender.

"A snake." He responded dryly.

"Like a snake shifter." She shivered and shook her head. "Scary."

Ethan turned on a bright smile and squeezed her shoulder. "Not a real snake. A metaphorical snake, he's human."

A flicker of surprise marked Brooke's face indicating she found the situation odd. "How'd you lose track of him?"

Ethan sighed. "He has a lot of money, now. It's easy to disappear." He replied through gritted teeth. He still couldn't believe his mother had given Gus money, and a lot of money at that.

"I've brought all my supplies, a tracking spell is simple as long as you have something of his, although hair or a blood sample is preferable, of course."

"Don't worry about that, I have what we need."

Brooke frowned as she considered the situation. "Well, you know I'd do anything for you. You're the brother I never had." She sipped her drink that had just arrived. "What's he done to you?"

He flung a friendly arm around her shoulder. "It's a long story, which I'll tell you on the way."

 _XXXX_

 _A fifteen-year-old Lucy willed him to glance her way, to walk by, but he didn't he stood searching the room for another. What Lucy wouldn't give to be the one he looked for, even only once. Why couldn't she ever be the one that he, or someone else wanted?_

 _Envy, jealousy, spread through her, plaguing her thoughts and emotions, no matter how hard she tried he never noticed her, it seemed like no one ever did. Why not her? She clenched her jaw watching as he kissed the other girl. She touched her own cheek imaging what it would be like to be kissed like that, with love, with desire._

 _If only someone would give her a chance. She could prove her love._

 _She trailed behind the couple, listening to their tender whispers with a sick stomach. Why didn't anyone ever say sweet things to her?_

 _At that moment, Lucy thought she should make him notice her, that if they were alone, he would see that he could love her. But that was only a fantasy. How could she pull that off?_

 _She imagined striking the girl by his side, clawing her face, shaking her, kicking her, and biting her flesh. She understood him more than she ever could. If only he could see that._

 _A twenty-one-year-old Lucy scowled at the girl who had just rejected her at the bar. She hated the look they got on their face when they dismissed her. It was humiliating. She felt anxious watching the girl join her girlfriend's side with a smile. Jealousy surged through her when they wrapped their arms around each other. Why didn't anyone ever smile at her like that, embrace her like that? Her resentment grew she as continued to watch them interact._

 _She scoffed. She was smart, pretty, charming and that girl would see that if she only gave her the opportunity to show her._

 _One day she'd find someone she could prove her love to…if they'd only give her the chance, they'd see her love was worth it._

XXXXX

Lucy threw a bag of money onto the ground in front of the witch. She'd almost gotten lost coming there. The twist and turns of the directions were perplexing, and it was dark making it hard to see. "That's all of it. How's my curse coming?"

The campfire in front of the witch made every feature of her face glitter, the light dancing all over her face. "I sent a small spell her way to test how effective it was, and I'm happy to report it worked. Now, that you have paid your money we can send the full curse her way."

"What will happen to her?"

A black cat rubbed up against the witch's leg, and Lucy wondered if it was a real cat or a shifter, she suspected the latter. "It will be slow and painful, as you requested. But she won't die unless she takes her own life to escape the pain."

After studying Lucy for a prolonged moment, the witch held out a charm for her. "This is for you."

Lucy shifted uneasily. "What's it for?"

The witch laughed scornfully. "It's not a gift," She said coolly. "It's necessary for your curse."

At first, Lucy refused to touch it, staring in the depths of the clear crystal with nervousness.

Impatiently, the witch thrust the necklace into her face, and Lucy gingerly took it in her hand. The witch continued to gaze at her, so she fastened it around her neck quickly.

"How will I know it's working? That Lauren is suffering." Lucy asked.

A wicked flicker of a smirk played over the witch's lips slowly. "You'll know. The magic you asked for will leave a mark on your soul, as Lauren weakens you will feel the effects as well."

"What?" Lucy couldn't be more enraged. "You never told me that! I never agreed to that!"

The witch gave a small shrug. "You never asked, and perhaps you have to ask yourself how badly you want this woman to suffer." She sparkled a colorful dust into the flames. "What price are you willing to pay for your revenge?"

Lucy considered this for a pause. Lauren and Bo deserved to pay for the humiliation they inflicted on her. But how far was she willing to go?

"You can't defy the laws of nature without paying a price yourself. A sacrifice must always be made." The witch laughed harshly. "This is not ordinary magic. It's sophisticated and very dangerous."

Lucy was unable to stifle a shiver. A cold chill ran down her spine, and she gazed down at the crystal around her neck. She couldn't let this rejection and disgrace stand. Lauren had to pay, and she would do whatever it took to make that happen.

XXXX

Bo dropped her coat on a nearby chair, paused and picked it back up placing it in the closet. One thing about living with Lauren again was she had to be mindful of keeping things organized and in their place. Lauren loved everything to be neat, clean and organized. Bo, on the other hand, didn't mind a little mess but after years with Lauren she'd picked up a few habits along the way, like putting her jacket away when she got home. There were small, little things she could do to keep her wife happy, and she didn't mind.

She crept quietly into their bedroom. She worked extra hard to not wake up her sleeping wife. Lauren was stretched out, sleeping on her side. But quickly Bo saw her stir waking up.

"Hey," Lauren mumbled her eyes still closed. "Come here," she whispered, lifting the blanket up, so Bo could crawl underneath.

Bo slipped off her boots and pants and gently inched in beside her. Lauren wrapped her arms around Bo's body, pulling her close. Her breath was warm and soothing on the back of Bo's neck. Lauren tucked her leg in between Bo's legs. "Why are you home so late?" Her voice was grainy from sleep, at least that's what Bo hoped it was from. Lauren brushed her fingers over Bo's leg waiting for her reply.

"Sorry, I woke you," Bo whispered letting her body sink relaxed into the bed and Lauren's warm body. "I was working at the Dal."

"Hmm," Lauren lightly kissed Bo's shoulder. "You didn't wake me. I was waiting for you. I can't sleep without you."

Bo brought Lauren's hand up to her cheek and rested it there, it felt so good Bo exhaled pleasurably. Lauren fell asleep, shortly after, wrapped in the warmth of Bo's body and their bed.

Sleep didn't come easy for Bo, though. Her mind wandered in a variety of directions, and she couldn't get settled. Eventually, her body relaxed, and she started to drift off to sleep but was awoken suddenly when she felt Lauren shaking next to her. As quickly as the shaking began, it stopped, and Lauren rested peacefully. Bo studied Lauren's sleeping features and falling asleep after that was difficult, so she stayed awake.

* * *

 **AN**

 **I know the BoLo family flashbacks didn't give any new information but I wanted to write some happy fluff.**

 **Thanks for reading and thank you for all the comments and reviews :):)**


	23. Chapter 23

Lauren was in the kitchen when Bo got home. She kicked off her boots and put her jacket away. Giving Lauren a quick kiss, she wrapped her arms around her. "Are you baking?" She asked after holding her close for a moment.

Lauren nodded. "Charlotte's coming over today, so we can look at buildings and I remember when you were pregnant you had a huge sweet tooth. I thought she'd enjoy them."

Bo broke off slightly and admired Lauren for a second. "That's sweet." She clasped her fingers around Lauren's apron and jerked on it. "I gotta say this apron's working for me."

A grin lit up Lauren's face, and she ran her lips along Bo's mouth, lightly and slowly. "Yes, I imagine it's very sexy."

"It is." Bo brushed a flour smudge off her nose. "You covered in flour is also working."

Lauren pressed into Bo's body, and they kissed again. "Are you hungry?" She asked, her pulse quickened when Bo drew her even closer.

Bo's gaze darkened, intense and yearning. "Oh, yeah."

Lauren reached out and grabbed a strawberry. Bo leaned forward, and Lauren gently brought it up to her lips, slowly sliding it into her mouth. Bo smirked and ran her tongue along the edge. The sweetness of the fruit coated her tongue before she allowed Lauren to ease the whole thing into her mouth.

"Mmm," Bo whispered, closing her eyes, chewing the fruit. "What else you got?"

Lauren tasted her lips, tracing her bottom lip with her tongue. She could taste the juice from the strawberry on her lips.

They both smiled, and Lauren dabbed a finger into a bowl of chocolate frosting. Bo licked her bottom lip slowly and waited. Lauren held her finger up to Bo's lips, and leisurely Bo ran her tongue over the length of her finger. The chocolate hit her taste buds, and she leaned in taking Lauren's whole finger into her mouth, stroking her tongue over her skin, and sucking gently. Lauren felt her warm, skilled tongue sliding over her finger and stroked the side of Bo's face as she sucked harder.

Finished, Bo bit down, and tilted her head, silently asking for more with her eyes. Lauren exhaled a quick breath and swiped her finger through the frosting again. Before Bo could express a response, Lauren offered her finger again. Bo locked her eyes on Lauren before kissing and licking her whole hand, cleaning up every drop of the chocolate.

Bo pressed hard into her and trapped her body before she plunged her finger into the bowl and dabbed the frosting on Lauren's lips, chin and down her neck. Lauren held her breath, and Bo's mouth was on her neck, licking and kissing. Lauren arched her neck as Bo's lips and tongue trailed up her skin. Bo moved up to her mouth, licked the frosting before she crushed their lips together. They kissed hard, ravenous, tasting the chocolate that covered their tongues.

In one quick gesture, Bo gently shoved Lauren's back against the counter. Her hands held her waist and Lauren draped her arms around Bo's neck. They studied at each other for a long time, their hands running over each other's bodies.

In a matter of seconds, Bo slid more frosting down Lauren's chest and breast before flicking her tongue over the skin. She slipped her hands up Lauren's shirt, up to her shoulder blades and back down, her lips still on her skin. "You taste so good," She mumbled against Lauren's chest, her voice low and raspy.

Lauren arched her herself into Bo's body. Heat coursed through her and her stomach clenched when Bo pushed her shirt off her shoulder, licking more frosting off it.

"There's not going to be any left for the cupcakes." She whispered, her head tilting back, as Bo nipped her teeth across her flesh.

"Sorry," Bo mumbled, now impatient to get Lauren naked, she started peeling all her clothes off. When her clothes fell to the floor, Bo lifted her onto the counter, in a smooth motion. Bo's lips moved over Lauren's newly exposed skin, kissing and licking as she went.

Still gripping Lauren with one hand, she dipped her fingers into the bowl, getting a generous amount of frosting this time. She spread it over Lauren's exposed breasts and hardened nipple. She sucked it off quickly, adding her tongue. Lauren's breath came out in a rapid burst, and she tangled her fingers in Bo's hair pulling her closer. The sounds escaping Lauren told Bo her teasing was appreciated. Her hands cupped Lauren's backside, pressing against her body and recapturing her lips.

Lauren wrapped her legs around Bo, and she hiked her up, closed her arms around her waist and lifted her off the counter. Lauren's arms were loose around Bo's neck, and she pressed their lips together. Bo snickered, but it was smothered when Lauren pushed her tongue passed her lips. Bo strengthened her hold on her, slowly walking towards the bedroom.

They were wrapped together when they fell onto the bed. Growing impatient Lauren tugged Bo's shirt off over her head. Every bare part of Bo's body burned, and she pressed her body into Lauren's center. She drew a breath as the front of their bodies rubbed together, and heat built up between them.

Bo slid her fingers over Lauren's tone, flat stomach. Lauren answered the caress when her muscles twitched under the touch. Her head fell back as her hips moved steadily against Bo.

Bo massaged her hands over Lauren's body. Keeping her eyes locked on Lauren's eyes, she moved down her chin, neck, stomach, tracing the shape of her muscles with her tongue. Her face moved between Lauren's thighs, and she slid her hands back up Lauren's stomach, settling on her breasts. She massaged her nipples slowly, as she buried her face deeper into Lauren and flicked her tongue against her sensitive skin, circling and stroking, slowly at first as though she wanted to take all of Lauren in.

Lauren gasped out a small, trembling breath when Bo's pace increased. It made all her muscles tense. Lauren could barely hold on, shuddering, she moved her body against Bo matching her motion as the swell of sensation washed over her.

Bo's mouth brushed over her thighs, stomach, licking the fine layer of sweat. Lauren's body trembled as heat shot through from Bo her touch. Lauren's orgasm created no pause for them, though. Bo hugged Lauren tight and placed kisses down her neck. "Please, bake more often," She murmured into Lauren's neck. Lauren's hand moved between her legs and slid into her quickly. Bo cried out, a cry that faded into a quiet moan, when Lauren stroked her thumb across her. It didn't take long for Bo's body to tremble and spasm, when the charged rush of sensation exploded through her.

Sated, Bo stretched out next to Lauren, both pleasantly worn out. They stayed like that for a long time, listening to the sounds of their shared breathing, while they bodies relaxed.

XXXX

Lauren cleaned up the kitchen and started a fresh batch of cupcakes when Charlotte burst into the house. She eyed Lauren curiously, and Lauren wiped her hands on her apron and greeted her with a smile.

"I'm making you cupcakes." She lifted the pan up for Charlotte to see. "I know cravings can get pretty intense at the beginning of a pregnancy. I thought you might like them." Lauren smiled warmly, her eyes luminous, as she looked Charlotte over.

Charlotte opened her mouth to give a snarky response. At the same time, Bo stuck her head in the kitchen, gave her a warning look, and she closed her mouth quickly. She tightened her lips and muttered a quick 'thanks' under her breath.

Lauren accepted that with a grin, used to Charlotte's briskness, and busied herself with finishing the cupcakes.

Bo strolled into the kitchen and watched Charlotte slouch in a chair with a sigh. "I will say I'm awfully exhausted these days. The babies are siphoning all my energy!" She exclaimed, "I can't imagine what it'll be like in a few weeks when they're bigger."

"Oh, but it's worth it, in the end, you get three precious little babies," Bo said, helping Lauren with the cupcakes, her face alight.

Flushing with irritation at Bo's word, Charlotte rolled her eyes. "I'm sure it's easy-breezy once they arrive." She yawned dramatically and rested her face on the table.

Bo snorted and exchanged a knowing glance with Lauren. "No, it'll be much harder but it's worth it."

Afterward, Jasmine entered the house without knocking, grinning broad. She sauntered over to Bo and Lauren. "You two simply can't stay away from me." She eyed the cupcakes. "And you baked for me, how splendid."

Bo made a face and Lauren swallowed a laugh at her reaction. "Glad you're back, Jasmine." Lauren winced subtlety as a sharp pain shot through her head. She discreetly blinked away the pain and turned her body to face Jasmine. "I would like to offer you a job, as my full-time attorney. If you're available."

Charlotte shot them a wry look. "I was wondering why she was here." She gave an unpleasant snort at the end.

"You certainly have inherited Bo's charms, Charlotte. I must say." Jasmine said. Charlotte smiled assuming she meant that as a compliment, she didn't. "You know, working with this family is a lot of fun, but I fear you might not have enough work for someone of my talents."

"I wouldn't worry about that. I'll keep you plenty busy." Lauren said, putting on oven mitts, and taking a pan out of the oven.

Jasmine arched her eyebrows. "Really? I like the sound of that. I can visualize many creative things you might have in mind."

Bo stared, frowning, even though this was completely in line with the Jasmine she knew. "Focus. She's talking about work."

Jasmine winked in response. "It's hard to keep my mind from wandering around you two." She waved her hand at them.

Bo regarded her with a sigh. "I didn't realize we needed to be so specific when talking with you."

"Oh, I enjoy the details." Jasmine paused and lowered her voice. "Detailed drawings also help."

"What in the hell are you talking about?" Charlotte asked gruffly, giving one of those oblivious, but disgusted looks she excelled at.

Bo stared straight ahead at Jasmine. "Ignore her, Charlie. Jasmine likes to press people's buttons. She, in fact, has no off button herself."

A sly look glinted in Jasmine's eyes. "Oh, honey. You don't need a button to turn me on and off." She said with a small laugh.

Lauren found the comment funny, and chuckled. She rubbed her hand down Bo's back. "You kind of set her up for that one."

Bo kissed Lauren's cheek and leaned against the counter with crossed her arms. "We wouldn't want to inconvenience you with work, Jasmine."

Jasmine hesitated a few seconds, still a mischievous glimmer in her eyes. She sprawled in a chair, her arms draped lazily over the back, she flashed them a grin. "As long as you keep it interesting and pay me what I'm worth, I'll work with you, Lauren."

"Maybe you could go thirty seconds without hitting on her while you work together," Bo said, scowling. Despite that fact, she knew Jasmine took a personal pride in provoking her.

Jasmine shrugged casually. "Don't question my resolve, succubus. I can very well go a whole minute without using my natural charisma on your wife." She crooked Bo a grin. "Fear not, I will not steal your wife out from under your nose."

Lauren darted her eyes back and forth between them and shook her head, adding frosting to the cupcakes.

"I'm surrounded by crazies. Ethan is the only normal one and now he's away." Charlotte groaned. She glared at Lauren but held back another remark. She knew Bo was watching her, and she didn't need both her moms ganging up on her.

XXXX

Brooke was a great friend to drink with, but Ethan often wondered how a human could hold so much liquor. She also had a natural intuition and always picked up on when he wanted or needed to talk about something and when he didn't.

They sat in their hotel room, drinking, and Ethan was listening as she did most of the talking. Talking about her travels, the new magic's she'd learned along the way. It sounded to him like she'd gained a great deal of power in the past year.

"My family almost seem afraid of me now. They avoid me." Brooke laughed out loud and downed her drink.

"Magic can freak people out, it's simply that people fear what they don't understand."

"Maybe they're too apathetic and ignorant to find out more about me." She brushed a wayward piece of hair off her face. "That's why I always loved being around your family. You all make me feel normal."

Ethan almost choked on his drink from laughing. "Why because we're so bizarre you feel normal by comparison?"

She smiled looking slightly wistful. "No, because you all accept me for who I am." She paused. "I mean I would have never had the confidence to purpose a career in witchcraft if you and Charlie didn't encourage me."

"Is that why you left? Was it too difficult being around your family?"

Brooke frowned and studied the rim of her glass. "A little I guess, but mostly I wanted to travel and see the world. And learn more skills."

"I admire the whole solitary expedition thing. Now that my mom's sold her company maybe I'll do one myself." He finished his drink and poured another for himself and topped Brooke's drink off. "Once Mac is cured, of course." He added.

They sipped their drinks in thoughtful silence for a few minutes. "So, any luck reaching Gus?" Ethan asked at last.

"Ethan, don't you think you're taking this a little far? Sounds like your mom already took care of it." She gently put her glass down as she spoke.

Ethan jerked his head to her and scowled. "Yes, by giving that snake money. You know exactly what will happen. He'll spend the money quickly, and then show up for more." He brushed his hair back in an aggressive motion. "And she'll probably give him more so that she doesn't have to deal with it." He ended with an eye roll.

Brooke sighed. "From what I know of Dr. Lewis she's pretty level-headed and reasonable. I don't think you have to worry about her going overboard in giving him money or letting him blackmail her."

"You knew my mother before she made her millions, money changes people."

"What exactly has your mom done that's so reckless with her money that makes you think that?" She gave a look of complete puzzlement.

Ethan was silent. Brooke was making a good point, and he didn't have an answer. She had actually done a lot of good with her money. He wasn't sure what was bothering him so much. It was hard for him to swallow that he was acting unreasonable, that was Charlotte not him.

"Do you think you might be displacing your anger at yourself onto your mom? I mean he was your roommate, and sex buddy or whatever. You gave him greater access to your family, and he betrayed you. Maybe you're feeling guilty and taking it out on your mom?" She emphasized her point by poking him directly in the chest.

Ethan halted as the impact of her questions hit him. "After everything my family's gone through…I just wish she'd trust us enough to ask for our help."

Brooke pursed her lips and considered what he said. "Maybe she feels like she didn't need help, that she could take care of it herself. I mean what was she suppose to do put a hit out on him? She's not a mob boss."

"I don't know, you might be right, I'm being unfair to my mom." He sighed, conceding. Brooke knew him pretty well, and if she felt he was overacting he probably was, she was good at calling him out on things. "But let's worry about that later, I'm too drunk right now and we need to find Gus first."

She nodded slowly, letting the discussion go. "As I said before a tracking spell is easy, but I'm still unclear about what you want to do when we find him."

"I want to wipe his memories, so he forgets he ever met my family." He told her, which surprised her.

Brooke sat down her drink and pondered Ethan's words. That was something she could do. It would work, but it was also unethical and dark magic, which was dangerous. "That's a little extreme don't you think?" She asked after her pause.

There was a gleam in his eye, as though he was internally battling with himself. "No, you don't threaten my family and get away with it." He stood and stretched out his body. "But sleep first, we'll work on this tomorrow."

She watched him walk off, sighed and poured herself another drink.

XXXX

Lauren excused herself to go the bathroom. She stared into the mirror and splashed water on her face. She watched thoughtfully as the drops of water ran down her face. She was getting an intense headache and a sharp pain in her side.

With a deep strained breath, she leaned down on the side of the bathtub. She squeezed her eyes shut when a piercing pain shot through her head. She rested her head in her hands, trying to get a handle on what was happening with her body. A sinking feeling welled inside her wondering if it might be a side effect of her serum starting to manifest. Something like this had never been tested long term, and she feared it was affecting her body adversely. In her years taking the serum nothing harmful had happened, but so much was still unknown about it.

A quick knock at the door startled her out of her thoughts, and she glanced up.

Bo entered the bathroom, and she scanned Lauren's face, noticing the pain in her features. Her stomach twisted. "What's wrong?" She took a small step towards her.

Lauren swallowed hard and had to look away from Bo's eyes. "I have a headache. I'm hoping it's just a stress headache, or something." She pressed her fingers in between her eyes.

"Maybe you should stay home and sleep." Bo sat down next to her on the bathtub, focusing her eyes on Lauren's face.

"No. I'll be fine." Lauren rested her head on Bo's shoulder, and she squeezed her eyes shut at another piercing ache. She hesitated not wanting to worry Bo. "I need a new lab, soon. I need to run some tests on myself. Just to make sure everything's ok with my serum and body."

"You have your equipment in the basement lab." Bo reminded her and studied her carefully.

Lauren nodded. "I know, but the equipment is limited, I need a fully functioning lab for these tests."

"Lauren…" Instinctually, Bo knew this was serious, after Kenzi she wary of any health concerns with her family, and she wasn't going to allow Lauren to brush it off.

Lauren's face promptly hardened, she dared a look at her. "Bo, I'm telling you the truth. I don't feel well, and it might be normal sickness or something else. I can't give you answers until I know more."

Bo's response took a long moment. "How long have you felt like this?"

"Your suspicious attitude isn't needed, today, is the first day." Lauren snapped, more harshly than she intended but the pain in her head was clouding her mind, and making her irritable.

"I won't apologize for worrying about you," Bo said, a slight wrinkle between her eyes as she scrutinized Lauren's face.

Lauren rubbed her hands down her face. "I appreciate the concern, but don't like the insinuation that I'm keeping something from you."

"Fine. But I think you should stay home and rest until you feel better." Bo responded sharply but mustering evenness into her voice. The situation nagged at her, but she didn't want to push Lauren against her wishes, so she was willing to let the matter go, for now.

"Noted," Lauren said flatly.

Bo held Lauren's eyes for a few seconds before she took a step to leave. Lauren grabbed her hand, holding her in place, and rested her head on her stomach. "I'm sorry." She fought back tears when her head throbbed again. "I'll go to this quick meeting then come home right after."

"Do you want me to come with you?" Bo couldn't help the annoyance in her voice. Even though, Lauren was compromising she didn't think she needed to do any work while not feeling well. It didn't seem that important to her.

Lauren peered up at her with a frown and shook her head. "No, I'll be alright."

Bo gave a faltering smile back and helped her up, keeping a firm hand around her waist.

Lauren gasped when her head throbbed again, followed by a nauseous twinge building up in her stomach. Her insides twisted agonizingly, and she broke out in a sweat. Bo placed her hand on her back, "Wh-" She stopped when Lauren started coughing and retching. Bo froze watching as Lauren choked up blood onto the floor. A flood of pain swept Lauren when a strange sensation well up in her body and the retching turned to full blown vomiting.

Bo leaned down beside her and kept a hand on her back and braced her body, trying to stay calm through the anxiety and fear that filled her. As the heaving intensified, a horrible feeling flared in her. The events seemed to happen in slow motion as she gaped helplessly at Lauren.

Lauren didn't know how much time passed before the sickness stopped, and strong arms pulled her up and away from the floor and blood. "Lauren?" Bo's breathing came raggedly. She glanced down at Lauren her face twisted in agony and her body shaking.

Bo's body trembled with adrenaline, as panic churned violently inside her. After several heavy seconds of silence, her protective mode kicked in, and she gathered Lauren into her arms and carried her to the bedroom. Her apprehension grew with every step she took.

XXXXX

Once they reached the bedroom, Bo broke her hold and laid Lauren on the bed. Lauren stretched out on the bed, her vision blurry and the headache remained, but the pain in her stomach was gone.

Bo watched her and wiped the blood off her chin and lips with her thumb. She disappeared into the bathroom and came back carrying a glass of water and offered it to Lauren.

"Thanks," Lauren's voice was coarse and she wrapped herself in a blanket, her body still shivering. "I think I'm ok now." She said after finishing the entire glass of water. "I just need to rest."

"I'm not a doctor, Lauren, but vomiting blood seems pretty bad." She stared at Lauren with concern, and slight frustration, her fists clenched at her side.

Lauren gave a small, sad smile. "I know."

Charlotte rushed into the room. "Geez, what happened in the bathroom," Her eyes were wide, and her breathing was heavy. She glanced down at Lauren's ghost white face. "What's happening?" She stepped cautiously toward the bed, her eyes, unblinking.

Lauren sat up and cleared her throat. "I'm sick, and I'll need to run some tests later. I don't know what's wrong." She admitted hesitantly.

A queasy feeling welled up in Charlotte's stomach, recalling the blood. She swerved her head back and forth between her parents. "You need to get to a hospital!"

"Charlotte, I can't go to a human hospital. Can you imagine the questions as to why a woman in her sixties, looks like she's thirty?"

Charlotte wrinkled her face and glanced at Bo for help. "Plastic surgery. Human's love that shit."

"I can run my own tests." Lauren insisted forcefully.

Charlotte grabbed Bo's arm, digging her fingers into her arm. "Are you just going to stand there? Take her to the hospital!"

"Lauren, she's right I should take you," Bo said, trying to sound gentle, her brown eyes pleading.

"No, Bo." She held up both hands to stop the protest she saw on Bo's lips. "It's too risky. My biology isn't something those doctors would understand."

After a few more reassurances, Lauren convinced Bo not to take her to the hospital. Reminding her over and over again that the doctors there wouldn't be able to help her, only her and Ethan knew enough about the serum to be useful.

Bo lowered her eyes, still in shock by what she'd seen, but unsure about what to do. "Is this about your aging serum?" She put all her energy into keeping her voice even.

"I don't know. I've never experienced side effects before, and I monitor my health diligently." Lauren said, hoping her words would put an end to the discussion. "I'll rest for awhile and then run some tests in the downstairs lab."

Charlotte threw her arms in the air. "Where's Ethan! He should be here." Charlotte's fear had given away to anger at her brother.

"Call him." Bo declared promptly.

"I have been calling him, but it goes straight to voicemail. He's ignoring me."

They fell silent, suddenly struck by the gravity of the situation that lay before them. If Lauren was sick, Ethan was the only other person in the world, who knew enough about the serum to help.

"That doesn't sound like him," Bo said at last. "I'm going to get Dyson to look for him." She pulled out her phone and moved to the door but turned back to look at Lauren. "I'll be right back after my call."

Lauren gave a nod and Bo dialed Dyson's number. Truthfully, Bo didn't know if she was making a mistake by not taking Lauren to the hospital. She sidelined her concerns and left the room.

Charlotte hovered by Lauren and finally she crawled into bed with her. "What can I do to help?"

Lauren pulled out her own phone and handed it to her. "This has all my information for the meeting about the building. You and Jasmine go check it out for me."

Charlotte stared at the phone, for a long moment. She looked uncertainly at it. "You'd trust me with something that important, on my own?"

Lauren grabbed her hand. "Of course," She gave a genuine smile. "And with your brilliant mind for details, I know nothing will get missed."

Accepting that, Charlotte was on her feet. She waited a little bit longer, clutching the phone tight. She looked straight into Lauren's eyes. "I'll make sure we get the best building this city has to offer." She moved slowly to the door but paused turned back. "Thank you for the cupcakes, that was very thoughtful." Her voice was surprisingly gentle.

Charlotte disappeared from the room quickly. As Lauren watched her go, she barely heard Bo outside the door talking with Dyson. She closed her eyes breathing deeply and slowly, releasing the tension in her body, while she waited to fall asleep.

* * *

 **XXXX**

 **AN**

 **Hi there!**

 **Any interest in Evony appearing in this story? A human Evony could still be alive 30 years later, and I think a grumpy, old Evony might be fun to write, but I'll only write her in if there's interest.**

 **Off topic-My motivation to write is slipping a bit (not from a lack of interest in the subject or ideas) but I want to keep updating so I might do shorter updates on my others stories until my motivation kicks back in.**

 **Anyway, as always you all are the best, thank you reading!**


	24. Chapter 24

Within a blink, Bo's life had been turned upside down. One minute she was making love to her wife and the next minute she carried her away from her blood on the floor. Laughing, loving, happiness, all could go away in a blink. Abruptly. Suddenly. Without warning, before she could stop it, she could lose Lauren, the love of her life.

Angrily, Bo slammed the refrigerator door shut. She wanted to kick it or knock it over. Destroy something. Anything. She clutched her fists, for a moment, to calm herself. She gently opened the door again, removing a pitcher of water. She poured the water into a glass and headed back to her bedroom. But paused, and held back her tears and steadied her body before she opened the door.

To her surprise, Lauren was sitting up and her face bright. "I feel better." She announced, but Bo grimaced at the shake in her voice, she knew she was putting on a front.

Bo placed the water on the nightstand and sank into the bed beside Lauren, wearing all her distress on her face. She hated to show her emotions to Lauren. She wanted to maintain an image of strength for her. This situation was too grave, though. Fear and worry for her wife knotted up her chest, body, everything. "I can't lose you, Lauren. I just got you back."

"I'm not going anywhere." Lauren took her hand, and Bo could feel the slight tremble beneath her skin.

Tentatively, Bo stroked her fingers over Lauren's hand. "How can you be so sure?" She drew small circles on top of Lauren's hand. "We don't know what's wrong."

"Bo, I'm not going anywhere." Lauren repeated and propped herself up to get a good look at Bo. Even in the dim light, she could see the worry on her face. "I won't let that happen. I'm here for my family."

Bo glanced around the room uneasily. "Dyson is having trouble locating Ethan. We need his help to figure out what's wrong."

"I hope he's not in trouble." She frowned in thought and ran her fingers through her hair. "This is my fault. He left because he was upset with me."

"No." Bo turned and regarded Lauren. "No. Our children are adults they make their own decisions. You are not to blame."

Lauren opened her mouth to retort, but Bo cut in. "Lauren, no. I will not have you blaming yourself." She cupped Lauren's face and kissed her forehead. "Most importantly, he's probably fine."

A moment later, Lauren swallowed her water and smiled. "I do feel better. I have more energy."

"Don't shield me from this Lauren. I need the truth about how you feel. Don't try to protect me." Bo eyed Lauren carefully waiting for her response. The last thing she wanted was for her wife to put on a brave face for her. She needed to know about the pain she was in.

"I'm not," Lauren reassured, seeing the look on Bo's face, some of her resolve faded.

"Lauren…" Bo said her eyes sharp, her tone stern.

"I feel better because you're with me."

Bo was quick with a smile, though her eyes remained solemn. "Guess that means I'm not leaving your side." She placed a gentle kiss on Lauren's cheek. "But I'm looking for a doctor to take a look at you. There has to be someone out there." She hesitated when an idea hit her. "Maybe Evony…"

"Evony? Bo, you can't be serious." The words came out with more bitterness than Lauren had expected, but Evony was the last person she would go to for help about her health.

"Well, she had that clinic years ago. She may know of a doctor that could take a look at you." Bo said even though she knew they really shouldn't be going down this path. But she was starting to get desperate.

"Bo, Evony would never help me," Lauren said obstinately.

"We have to do something." Bo was unwilling to admit this was a bad plan. She wanted to help Lauren badly enough to consider ignoring any warnings about asking for Evony's help.

"I need a little rest. Then I can run the tests myself." Lauren said, she'd been saying that for days, so far she hadn't felt well enough to run any tests.

"Ok. I love you, but this stubbornness is pissing me off. If you think I'll just stand by while you die…Our family is everything to me."

"Why would Evony help us?" That was a loaded question, of which both knew the answer. Evony wouldn't help them. "You know what I did to her. I don't even know where she's living now. We lost track of her years ago. She might be dead."

Bo snorted and shook her head. "One thing I know is that Evony, human or not, will never die."

"I'm tired, Bo. I don't want to talk about Evony. She will not help us. I don't want her help." She paused and without thinking added, "I'd rather die."

That set Bo into a rage. "That's selfish." She said sharply, and loudly. "You have a family. We need you."

Lauren sighed deeply and closed her eyes. "Ok. Do what you think is best."

Bo got off the bed quickly and paced around the bed, still in an angry state. "Tell me what to do! No hospital, no Evony, no…"

"Bo, please calm down."

"No, I will not calm down. You divorced me because I was reckless, not thinking about my safety and how that impacted my family. How is what you're doing now any different?"

Lauren scoffed and gave her an aggravated look, but paused to consider her words. "I said do what you think is best." She bit back her further objections and offered a weak smile. She had a laundry list of counterarguments, but she was too fatigued to get into it. "I trust you to do what's best." She added after a moment's pause.

Bo stared at Lauren for several dense moments, her expression stern and blank of emotion. Finally, she sighed. "Let's give Dyson a few more days to find Ethan." She saw exhaustion and discomfort wash over Lauren's face. "Get some sleep." She added in a gentle tone.

Lauren gave a quick nod and curled up in the blanket. She watched Bo slowly leave the room. "I love you." She whispered, inching towards sleep, her eyes already closed.

Bo paused and glanced back. "Me too, more than you know." And with that, Bo left the bedroom to get an update from Dyson about Ethan's whereabouts.

XXXX

Lauren was sleeping, so Bo decided to eat a quick meal. Her, Mac and Charlotte gathered around the kitchen table.

"How's Lauren?" Mac asked, visibly fighting back tears, taking a seat opposite Bo at the table.

"Sleeping," Bo answered, playing cool and not elaborating on Lauren's condition or her concerns.

"Any idea what's wrong?" Mac asked. The hairs on the back of her neck rose, waiting for Bo to reply. In truth, she wasn't at all worried about what Lauren's illness meant for her own health, all her concern was for Lauren, and Bo, and Charlotte, and Ethan.

Bo's eyes drifted off, not really focusing on anything, after a moment she shook her head.

They sat in silence. None of them knew what to say, or how to change the subject.

"Well, I have good news. I've found the perfect building for her new lab." Charlotte said at last, pushing an upbeat tone into her voice. She smiled looking back and forth between Bo and Mac, hoping to deflect the focus onto something else.

Bo smiled briefly at Charlotte's statement. "That's wonderful, Charlie. That'll make her happy." She squeezed her hand, in a supportive gesture. She was proud of Charlotte's maturity during this time, and how easily she'd stepped up in helping Lauren.

Charlotte nodded, some of her forced enthusiasm dimmed, and she studied Bo's face. "What should Mac and I do? We feel helpless."

"I know the feeling." Bo glanced at Charlotte a mix of emotions played on her face, but sadness was the most noticeable.

"She'll be fine, right?" Charlotte asked, a minor quiver in her voice.

"I don't know." Bo's face blanched and she drew a resolved breath, turning away from Charlotte's eyes.

Charlotte swallowed hard. "I never thought she'd leave us…I never thought…" Her expression grew increasing distraught.

"We all assumed her serum was infallible. We're all guilty of that." At that statement Bo's frown grew, her expression grim.

"Damn, where's Ethan? I've been calling and calling him." Charlotte exclaimed, clearly exasperated and not hiding it. She needed a target for her frustration and that was Ethan, at the moment.

"Dyson can't locate him." Bo's gaze grew distant again.

"Of all the times to go off on a brooding adventure…" Charlotte didn't need to finish that thought.

"Where would he go? Why leave without telling us? He's the responsible one."

"Hey!" Charlotte scoffed and rolled her eyes.

"Sorry, I just mean it's not like him, it worries me."

Charlotte buried her head in her arms. "I need my brother. Mom needs him."

Bo ran her fingers through Charlotte's hair and gave Mac a smile. At the same time, Mac jerked her head down, trying to wipe her tears away without Bo noticing.

They ate quietly and finally, the conversation moved on to other topics, as they wanted to divert their minds for a moment. But Bo kept a watchful eye on the time, eating in haste. She wanted to get back to Lauren's side as quickly as possible.

XXXX

Distracting your enemy by saying something outrageous or offbeat is a good way to get an assault in, to catch them off guard. That's what Ethan learned from his mother. So when he strolled up to Gus on the beach, he decided to open the discussion in a flippant way. "Come here often sailor?"

Gus jerked his head up and gaped at Ethan, unblinking, speechless.

Ethan took a seat next to him, forced his jaw closed and stared back, daring Gus to make a move.

In the distance, Brooke lingered uncomfortably watching the pair. She sighed to herself, her friend was acting hard-headed and unreasonable about this situation. She'd offered alternatives, to a memory wipe, but once he sat his mind to something, it was hard to change it.

She darted her eyes away, unable to hear their conversation but the look on Ethan's face told her his temper was boiling over. That wasn't good, he needed to remain calm, relax.

After ten minutes, Ethan along with Gus strolled up to Brooke's spot. Ethan wore a fake friendly smile, and an arm draped over his shoulder. "Gus has agreed to talk with us upstairs." Ethan told Brooke.

Brooke was stunned that Gus had agreed without incident. She gingerly walked behind them back to the hotel room.

Ethan glanced back at Brooke as if reading her questions. "Gus would like to get the extra money my mom sent. Isn't that right?"

"Hopefully, this will not take long, I have much to do today," Gus said in an arrogant tone, brushing his fingers through his hair.

Ethan patted his back. "Don't worry, buddy, you'll everything you deserve."

Brooke looked at Ethan chagrined but kept her mouth closed. She was indebted to Ethan; he saved her life. She owed him everything. She couldn't refuse to help, no matter the trepidation that was surging through her.

After a quick walk, they reached the hotel room. Gus eagerly entered the room, impatient to get more of his money. He paused and regarded the room. "This room is awful, Ethan, it's much too small."

Ethan gritted his teeth. "Well, some of us earn our money and, therefore, don't spend it frivolously."

Gus placed his hands on his hips. "I earned that money for putting up with your family for so long. Especially, Lauren just because she doesn't have a life, she thinks none of her employees do. I'm owed this money for the pain and suffering of working with her so long."

"Watch your mouth." Ethan, within a half second, grabbed Gus' arm. "You will not speak about my mother that way. She treated you with kindness. You do the same."

Gus jerked his arm away. "Geez, Ethan you used to complain about the same things."

Brooke watched the argument and had enough. She reached into her bag and pulled out a small jar with a blue powder inside. As they shouted back and forth, she poured a small amount of the powder into her hand. She walked slowly up to them, neither noticing her. She put her hand into the air and blew the powder into Gus' face, instantly he collapsed onto the floor, asleep.

Ethan took a second to register what had happened, and he glanced at Brooke. "Thanks, I hate that guy."

"Maybe choose your bed partners more carefully next time," Brooke said while walking away from Ethan, who stood above a passed out Gus.

Ethan lifted up and dragged him onto the bed. "Are you ready, Brooke?"

Brooke sighed. "Ethan, this is dangerous magic, are you sure you want to do this?"

"Yes."

"A memory wipe is essentially a curse. Which means for requesting this magic, it will leave a mark on you." Brooke's nagging anxiety was blooming the closer she got to having to perform the curse.

"I understand."

She wanted to shake him and pull him out of his indifferent attitude, but she stood still. "Do you?"

He exhaled and narrowed his eyes on her with a cold look, which surprised her. "Yes, Brooke. Do it."

After a moment of hesitation, she stepped closer to him. "Don't you even want to know what it'll do to you?"

He sighed and turned his back on her. "Ok. What?"

She grabbed his shoulder, turning him to face her. "There are two ways: first, you get the same effects as him, as in you'll forget your family."

Ethan shifted uneasily and pulled nervously at his hair. She was relieved that this, at least, got him to show some emotion, it proved he wasn't willing to be completely reckless about the situation, that he a limit.

Ethan gave her a questioning look, and waited.

"Second, you make a sacrifice."

"What kind of sacrifice?"

"You'd have to give up your Fae powers, sacrifice your siren abilities." She looked at him expectantly and was flabbergasted by his lack of reaction to hearing that, it unnerved her that his attitude was so blasé.

He let out a breath of relief. "Ok. Yes, I want the second one. Do that." He pulled Gus up to standing position as he spoke.

"Ethan, is it really worth it? I don't understand this."

It was true he was going to an extreme, but this was the only solution he was comfortable with, Gus had to have his memories wiped. "We make sacrifices in my family for each other. I will do this to keep them safe."

She wrinkled her face and paced around the bed. "You sound crazy. Listen to yourself."

"Do you know what will happen to my mom if she stops taking her serum?" He looked down at Gus as if he wanted to rip him apart. He lifted his head to stare at her. "She'll die, within days of not taking it. Her body is reliant on that serum now. She needs monthly treatments." He scowled and gave Gus a look of contempt. "He threatened her health. Therefore, he threatened her life." He looked at Brooke again, this time tears in his eyes. "Surely, you can understand that he needs to go away from my family forever."

Brooke was startled by his expression and words, so she kept her tone gentle. "Would your mother want you doing this for her?"

Ethan tapped his foot impatiently, ready to get on with it. "Yes, if anyone understands doing whatever it takes for those you love, it's Lauren Lewis. She would do the same without thinking twice."

Brooke didn't argue further, she read the determination on his face. "If you change your mind, there are three ways to break a curse, like this, first kill the witch who cast the curse." She pointed to her own chest, and waited for a reaction.

"Don't worry I won't kill you, Brooke. No need to worry."

Brooke rolled her eyes. "Second, destroy the crystal with demon fire, which is hard to come by."

"What crystal?"

With a long drawn out sigh, she pulled out her supplies. She handed him a necklace with a clear crystal dangling at the end. "You will have to wear this, it's linked to you because this is your curse." She pointed to the crystal. "This crystal would need to be destroyed to break the curse. But only with demon fire."

"What's the third?"

She drifted her eyes away from the necklace and looked at him with a sad expression. "The death of the one who requested the curse. So, your death." She studied his face, seeking some resistance but finding none.

"Ok. Do it."

She hesitated, and decided to appeal to his sense of reason, one last time. "Ethan, this is dangerous. Are you sure?"

For a pause, her cautious attitude almost made sense, but he shook that off and said emphatically. "Brooke, yes. This is what I have to do for my family." Few things could make Ethan lose his collected nature, his reasonable attitude. His family's well being was on of those things.

It took a moment, but Brooke nodded in agreement and prepared to cast the curse, once it was done there was no going back.

XXXX

Evony drew the blanket over her lap and smoothed it with her wrinkled hands. She had a chill, her human skin was too thin, nearly paper, it offered only a hint of protection against the cold. Her bones were tired, her joints ached, her back throbbed, and all this annoyed her greatly.

Three servants entered her room, creeping low and speaking in low tones.

"Don't be ridiculous, you fools, I'm old, not skittish. Get in here." She hissed and rolled her eyes.

They exchanged nervous glances, not sure if it was a test or not. One of them, the new one, foolishly reached over to switch on the lights. The other stopped her before she could proceed. Evony detested the brightness of the horrible electric bulbs, in her old age she reverted to the old ways, the ways of her youth, she preferred the entire house be lit by candlelight. It was more sophisticated, cultured, plus the soft light didn't hurt her sensitive eyes. The bitter truth was, she was old, too old, her body was failing her. But she was determined to stay alive until she could cure herself of this wretched humanness.

Evony watched the servants with disdain and annoyance, as they hurried around the room, her eyes sharp. Tired of their intrusion, she cleared her throat to get their attention. "Has my daughter arrived?"

One stepped forward and veered his eyes to the floor, looking directly at her made him uncomfortable. "Yes, she arrived this morning. She's sleeping in her old room."

She cast a suspicious glare towards him. "Why wasn't I informed? Send the worthless woman in." She demanded, waving them away.

He shifted uneasily. "Yes, but…um…she's ill and doesn't want to be disturbed."

"You work for me, not my step-daughter. Go and get Lucy, now." She demanded, harshly.

They nervously rushed from the room, without speaking, leaving their chores for another time.

Evony sighed and considered her stepdaughter for a moment. She was a miserable woman, even as a young child Evony knew she was off. So clinging, so desperate for attention, it made her sick. When Lucy's father died, she became obsessed with love, which made Evony's skin crawl. There were more interesting things in this world to obsess about than something as trivial and pointless as love. But she kept Lucy around, in her life, because despite how obnoxious Lucy was, she was the closest thing to family that Evony had. And maybe in her old age she was getting soft. She chuckled at that thought, and stared into the fireplace.

XXXXX

Bo leaned into Lauren's body as she slept peacefully. She lightly brushed the hair from her face, and Bo studied her face. She was relaxed now; the pain and horror of the last few days seemed to fade away. At least in sleep, she appeared at peace. Sorrow and helplessness filled Bo as she gazed at Lauren's profile.

She peeled her eyes away and stared at the wall across the room. She cursed herself repeatedly for her stubbornness, for her pride. Five years she'd lost with her wife. She'd desperately waited for Lauren to return to her, but she should never have let her go in the first place. She had taken Lauren's serum for granted, thinking it meant Lauren would be around forever. But if it was failing, if Lauren was dying…how could she ever forgive herself for throwing away those precious five years. It was so easy to forget, when her life was so long, how fleeting everything could be, how quickly things could change. After Kenzi's death she'd wallowed in her own self-pity, forgetting that her wife was also human.

Tears fell down her face, but she didn't brush them away, she wouldn't, those tears belonged there. Beside her, Lauren winced in pain and Bo brushed her fingers over her arm sending a light pulse into her body, trying to ease whatever pain she could.

Lauren's eyes fluttered open, and she stared unfocused into Bo's eyes. Her face was pale, and she forced a smile. So many unspoken emotions stirred between them. "I'm so happy you're here with me, Bo, that we found our way back together." Her expression turned dark. "I'm so sorry I left. It was a mistake." Her eyes filled with tears. "I hope you can forgive me."

"Lauren, are you ok?"

Lauren sighed weakly, blinking the tears away. "Everything's my fault. Kenzi…Mac…our divorce…Charlotte hates me…Ethan hates me…" She trailed off, staring unfocused into the distance.

"Lauren what's wrong?" Bo asked promptly, adjusting her position so she was closer to Lauren's face. "Why are you talking like this?"

"I think I'm dying." Lauren whispered, and Bo grimaced, opening her mouth, but Lauren continued. "Before I could correct my mistakes." She swallowed, fighting against the lump in her throat. "But at least I have you back."

"We're going to figure out what's wrong with you and fix it." Bo paused, speaking with more confidence than she felt. "Lauren, you don't get to give up. We'll figure it out together."

Lauren gave a weak nod. "I'll just rest, and then get to the lab." She paused, placing her hand on Bo's leg. "Will you hold me, Bo? Until I fall back asleep?"

Their eyes met briefly before Lauren buried her head in Bo's body and Bo wrapped her arms around her. Bo wished she could tell her so many things. Like that no one hated her, Kenzi and Mac weren't her fault, she wasn't dying…All she could do, in that moment, was hold Lauren like she requested. She'd tell her all that in the morning, after Lauren got more sleep.

Bo was drifting off to sleep, when Lauren spoke again. "Sometimes, I wonder if you can ever really do enough to make up for the past…for mistakes…for things you've done."

"Of course you can." Bo said and held her tighter. "You've done more good in this world than everyone else I know. Whatever mistakes you've made, you've made up for them in extraordinary ways. A hundred times over. You don't have to hold on to guilt forever."

Lauren nodded against her stomach, half asleep, now. "But is it ever really enough…Maybe this is my punishment…"

 **XXXXXXXX**

 **AN**

 **Next update, Ethan returns home. Yay! The family will all be together again.**

 **I'll never stop saying it…thanks for reading! Y'all the best :)**


	25. Chapter 25

Ethan's skull felt like it was about to explode. He pulled some painkillers from his pocket and swallowed them quickly. Brooke said that once his body got used to being without his powers, the headaches would go away. But he needed to be able to put on a good face for his family, so he planned on staying medicated until they disappeared.

Luckily, the house was dark when he entered his moms' house. He wasn't ready for Charlotte's chastisements for not returning her four hundred messages. He hadn't bothered to check the dramatic messages she left him. He rolled his eyes at her hysterics. He hoped he could avoid her a little while longer.

He staggered into the kitchen, sat his bags down, and tossed his phone on the table. He was tired from his trip and also hungry, so he headed to the refrigerator. To his surprise, there wasn't much food in there, that wasn't like his moms. Several seconds later, he reached for an apple and took a large bite while scanning the refrigerator for more food. The memories of his trip weighed heavily on his mind, and he was distracted and didn't notice Bo burst into the kitchen.

"Where have you been," Bo asked in a strong, curt voice. His head whipped around, startled and he was even more stunned when he saw her glaring at him with a furious expression.

"You scared me," He stammered, taking another bite of his apple.

Her eyebrows rose, her eyes raked him up and down, and she slapped the apple out of his hand, hard. His hand stung from the contact.

"Ow, what the hell," He gaped at her, in surprise and anger. He glanced down at the apple on the floor, then back at her.

"Where have you been?" She repeated impatiently, practically shouting, pulling his shoulder to stare into his eyes.

He put his hands up and backed away from her, her expression was intimidating him a bit. "I needed a little time to myself." He answered slightly meekly; Bo was one of the few people that made him nervous when she was angry.

"Time…to…yourself…" She marched towards him, threateningly and he recoiled. "And you don't answer your damn phone?"

He hesitated and considered telling her the truth about what he was doing but her face and stance told him, now wouldn't be a good time. "I-"

She cut him off, waving him quiet with her hand. "Your mom is sick. And we couldn't reach you. She hasn't left the bed in days. She's too ill to even run her own tests. But her irresponsible son, who happens to be the only one who knows anything about her biology, can't be bothered to answer his phone."

For a moment, he couldn't breathe. He stared at his mother, running her words over in his mind trying to understand everything. "Mom's sick." His voice cracked, and he cleared his throat. "I didn't know." His face was creased with worry and guilt.

"You have three seconds to get into that room and look at her before I kick your ass." She pointed to the stairs and held a stern expression. And there was no doubt in his mind that she was serious.

With wide eyes, he ran upstairs to his mom's bedroom, with Bo quickly at his heels.

Tentatively, he opened the door and crept into the room. She was sleeping, peacefully. He glanced at Bo, and she shoved Lauren's medical bag into his chest. With quick steps, he was at Lauren's side.

Bo laid next to her and gently ease her awake. Lauren's eyes flickered open and smiled brightly at Ethan. "You're back." Her voice was weak with a slight wheezing, like she struggled to draw air. They could tell she was trying to sound normal through the pain. "I'm sorry that you were upset with me." She stroked his hand, her fingers felt like ice on his skin. "I did what I thought was best."

He looked at her in disbelief, for a brief time, and then he closed his eyes and tilted his head back, guilt crushing him. "I'm not mad. None of that was your fault. You were right about Gus." He's eyes slide down to the floor with that statement. "How are you feeling?"

Seeing his mother this weak, and clearly in pain, a million memories tumbled forcefully through his mind, working with her, learning from her, aspiring to be like her…his body slouched down in sadness.

Lauren slowly sat up and blinked quickly. "I was going to go to the lab…" She trailed off, her mind suddenly muddled. "I mean," She glanced at Bo pleadingly, "I can't remember, Bo, did I run any tests?"

Bo looked uneasily at Ethan and back to Lauren. "Babe, you've been too sick. You don't remember?"

"Of course…I mean…I don't know…" She rubbed in between her eyes, trying to make sense of everything around her. The last few days were fragmented in her mind. The pain in her body was making it hard to think.

Ethan patted her leg. "Don't worry, ma. I'll run the tests. Let me take a few blood samples and I'll start tonight."

Lauren frowned, her confusion returned. "You're back. I'm so sorry about…" She shook her head, and turned to Bo. "Wait…Bo?" She searched Bo's eyes for answers, for clarity.

Bo stiffened slightly and squeezed her hand, looking at her in concern. "It's ok, Lauren. Just try and relax."

She laid back down and let Ethan draw her blood. Bo clenched her jaw and watched him critically. She was beyond furious with him, but she'd let him have it later.

After he finished, he gathered up his supplies. With a sideways glance at Bo's hard expression, he kissed Lauren's forehead and exited the room.

Bo held Lauren tight, and Lauren looked up at her. "He's a good boy. Smart. Honest. Brave, he's a lot like you." She gave Bo a weak smile.

Bo chuckled. "I always thought…" She paused and realized Lauren had fallen asleep. She kissed her cheek and forehead and gently left her side to go have a talk with their son.

XXXXX

Ethan spent the next few minutes getting familiar with his mother's basement lab, or really it looked more like a workshop that blended a modern lab with a Fae lair. Part of the room had scientific equipment, like beakers, microscopes, and so on. The other side had a collection of dried herbs, vials of different colored liquids, and plants and various herbs lined almost every inch of the room. He smiled upon closer inspection, finding all the plants and vials labeled and alphabetized. All her tools and instruments were also labeled, itemized by size and material. Something about these little details, which were so Lauren, was comforting, like she was by his side, helping him figure this out.

Memories flashed through his mind of him and Charlotte in her lab when they were younger, helping her label and clean her equipment. She always made it fun, like it was a game, and they loved to help her. She made learning exciting and science sound fascinating and spending time with her in her lab, her comfort zone, inspired him to become a scientist himself.

Resolved, he focused on the task at hand, pushing down those memories and all his worries.

Shortly after that, Bo rested against the doorframe and watched him work. "She thinks her serum is failing, is that possible?"

Ethan nodded, preparing the first of the blood slides. "It's always been a concern of ours, but she's taken steps over the years, to strengthen the formula. She obsessively analyzes her health for any abnormalities..." He ran his fingers through his hair. "I don't know why this would happen so suddenly."

Bo looked away, conflicted about whether or not to reprimand him about leaving. "What can we do if it is hurting her, what are our options?" She asked, after deciding it wasn't the right time. He needed to concentrate on what he was doing.

He took a long time to answer. "She has to stop taking it if it is causing her illness." He flicked his eyes up at her with a pained expression. "But mom she'll die without it. There's no good option here."

Bo frowned and exhaled. "How long until you know something more?" She decided not to panic until they had more information.

"I'll work all night and, hopefully, I'll have some answers in the morning."

She nodded and started back up the stairs.

"I'm sorry about disappearing." He called out to her.

"Learn from it and never do it again." She said abruptly, climbing the steps. It took every ounce of her self-control to stay calm and not scream at him but now wasn't the time. He had a lot of work to do, and she needed to be by Lauren's side.

He sighed, determined to focus on the work in front of him. He would worry about making this all up to his family later.

XXXX

Lucy sobbed looking into the mirror. Her face was covered in boils, blisters, sores. She glanced down at her arms that were covered in skin lesions. It burned like her whole body was on fire, and she wondered if Lauren was feeling this as well. They were connected now, in their pain, linked. She always knew they had a connection. Something was undeniable between them like they were always meant to be. She searched for so long for love and finally found her soul mate. Lauren. Beautiful Lauren. Smart Lauren. Interesting Lauren.

Through her pain, she had formed a new plan for proving her love to Lauren. She would rescue her from this torture. Lauren liked to be saved, which is why Bo enthralled her so much. But Lucy could be her savior now, and then, finally, Lauren would realize their connection and love.

But the pain was so bad it was hard to leave her room. She brought her fingers up to her face to scratch but halted because she knew the pain that would cause.

One of the housekeepers knocked lightly on the door. She flinched and quickly returned to the bed, covering her face. She didn't want anyone to see her in this state.

He walked slowly up to the bed. "Your stepmother would like to see you."

"Tell her I'm sick." She answered in a cold tone.

"I'm sorry Dr. Allen, but she won't care. She was adamant that you come now."

Fury quivered through her, that woman would not order her around. "Tell that old bag of bones that I'm ill and I will not be going to see her. If the old bat would like to see me, she can come down here herself." She laughed out loud, frantically. "Oh wait I forgot she's a cripple now." She laughed again. "Tell her she can slither down here, on her stomach like the snake she is."

She watched as he clumsily left the room, and she wondered how much longer she could possibly remain in this house without killing someone.

XXXXX

The next morning, Bo, Charlotte and Mac gathered in the kitchen and waited for Ethan to go over what he'd discovered about Lauren's health.

Charlotte played with her eggs. "Ethan's lucky I'm pregnant. It's the only thing saving him right now." She dramatically stabbed at her eggs with her fork.

"Don't say that, Charlie, he made a mistake. We all do." Mac said, also playing with her food. They were all too nervous to eat.

Charlotte scoffed. "It violates everything this family stands for, disappearing without a word. It's not right. We don't do that to each other. We're all crazy, in our own ways, but when it counts, we stand together. We don't go off on emo, sob holidays and turn off our phones." Her lips tightened and she studied her food.

Mac opened her mouth but reconsidered and said nothing. Sometimes, it was better to not argue with Charlotte, and just let her be.

At the same moment, Ethan entered the kitchen and all their heads twirled to look at him. Charlotte narrowed her eyes on him and crossed her arms over her chest, but didn't say anything to him. She was sending him insults through her mind.

He sighed, ignoring Charlotte's disgusted glare. "These test results don't make any sense."

"Is it her serum?" Bo asked, standing from her chair.

"Honestly, I don't know. Nothing makes sense." He slumped into a nearby chair and buried his head in his arms.

Bo sighed and looked at her children. Ethan's lack of information drove home the fear that lurked inside her, that she was powerless to stop this, that there was nothing she could do to help Lauren.

"Well, it's something. She's clearly ill." Charlotte blurted out loudly, looking between her brother and mother.

"I don't know," Ethan muttered into his arms. "I'm not as smart as she is, she'd figure it out easily."

"You can figure this out, Ethan. You know as much as she does about this serum. She trusts you." Bo said, resolving to stay strong and hopeful.

His head rose, and he stared at Bo with tears in his eyes. "She shouldn't trust me, and I'm nowhere near as smart as she is, I'll only disappoint her." He ran his fingers up and down the chain around his neck.

Charlotte groaned, rolling her eyes. "Ethan, enough with the melodramatics! Just focus, you're the science prodigy of the family after all." She pushed her plate of food away from her.

"She's right, take a minute and breathe. Let your mind clear." Bo said, using a softer tone than Charlotte.

Mac's anxiety increased, but she tried to eat her food, watching the conversation, her eyes darting between their faces.

He straightened up and read over the paperwork in front of him. After several long minutes, "I'm an idiot," he muttered. Bo and Charlotte exchanged glances unsure if he was talking to them or himself. "I should have realized…" He drifted off, flipping through his notes.

They remained quiet letting him think. Bo paced around the kitchen and glanced at the three of them, her heart heavy. Some dark part of her wondered exactly what would happen to them if Lauren really were dying.

Ethan looked up to meet Bo's eyes. His face grew dark. "I don't believe it has anything to do with her serum. Her cells are degrading, it's like there's an invisible force plaguing her body."

"Are you saying this is supernatural, that it's Fae related?" Bo studied his face, her mind swimming with ideas and possible threats, her hands fisted at her sides tensely.

Ethan's face was pensive but cleared when he glanced down at his necklace. Wordlessly, he pulled out his phone, left his chair and dialed Brooke's number as he walked out of the kitchen.

XXXXX

Bo and Ethan led Brooke down the hall towards Lauren's bedroom.

When Brooke entered the room, she was almost knocked over by a wave of energy flowing from Lauren's body. Her jaw dropped and her eyes slide back between Bo and Ethan. "Ethan, your mother's been cursed."

Ethan jerked his eyes away from Lauren to Brooke. "You can tell that just by looking at her?" His face twisted in alarm.

Brooke nodded in commiseration. "Magic always leaves a mark and those of us who have studied it can read the signatures. We're tapped into the energy, more or less."

Bo frowned at Lauren's sleeping body, before turning to Brooke. "Who cursed her?" Her body was trembling but she focused on keeping her voice leveled.

Brooke glanced away and bit her bottom lip in a nervous gesture. "I'm sorry Mrs. Dennis, but I can't give you that information. All I can say is this is one complex curse and done by an extremely powerful witch."

Bo closed the door, so their voices wouldn't wake Lauren. "Can you reverse it?" She asked, bracing herself and waiting patiently.

Brooke shifted uneasily and glanced at Ethan before explaining to Bo how to break a curse.

Bo tapped her foot and ran her hands down her face. "So, we can't do anything until we figure who's behind it." She said after considering Brooke's explanation for several minutes.

Brooke brushed her curly, frizzy hair away. "Does your mother have any enemies?" She asked Ethan.

"Yes," Bo and Ethan answered in unison.

Ethan snorted. "Lucy or Evony or any Fae that knows about her de-Faeing serum." He counted them off on his fingers and sighed. "It's potentially a long list." He added, peering sideways at Bo.

Bo stared back at Ethan as a realization dawned on her, she snapped into fighting mode. "Lucy." She said, without any doubt in her mind. She felt ill and furious, about letting her go in the first place.

Ethan looked stricken, thinking he'd wasted his time on Gus when Lucy was the real threat all along but nodded in agreement with Bo. He turned to Brooke. "Is there anything you can do for her in the meantime?"

"There are a number of spells, certainly…" Brooke paused to think. "One that might work…" She sighed. "It's definitely out of my league to perform."

"Please, Brooke." Bo urged, practically begging. "Is there anything you can do?"

Brooke took a deep breath and pondered over all their options. "There's a potion I can make that would offer a temporary shield from the magic." She noticed their confused expressions and added. "The longer she takes it, the less it will work, her body will build up a tolerance to its effects. I'd say she'd have a week before it stopped working completely."

"Does it have any side effects?" Ethan asked, attempting to sound calm through his guilt and rage.

"It's safe, Ethan, but a short-term solution."

"Make it Brooke, please," Bo's hand was on the doorknob, waiting, when Brooke nodded, she opened the door. She disappeared into the bedroom to explain all this to Lauren.

In the kitchen, Brooke pulled out her spell book and flipped through the pages before finding what she needed. Ethan and Bo hovered over her shoulder.

"It doesn't require much," Bo said, reading down the list, not that the words made any sense to her.

Brooke skimmed over the ingredient list. "I have most of this in my kit…but I'm missing a few key ingredients." She scribbled down a list and handed it to Ethan. "Those are the supplies I'll need. It'll take a few hours to make, so hurry back."

Bo tapped the book with her finger. "I'll check the Dal, maybe we'll find what you need in Trick's things." She grabbed the list from Ethan's hand. "You stay here." She said to him. "Look after everything here, while I'm gone."

Brooke refilled her bag and headed down to Lauren's lab to get prepared. Bo got ready to go to the Dal for the supplies. Ethan stopped her. "What's your plan?"

Bo pulled on her jacket. "After your mom takes this potion then I'm going to have a little one on one chat with Lucy." She flipped around, out the door quickly.

 **XXXXX**

 **AN**

 **Next update, Lauren takes the potion, and Jasmine returns**

 **Sorry for the short update and thanks for reading.**


	26. Chapter 26

"You think this is funny, don't you?" Charlotte asked, leaning against the kitchen counter and pointing a finger at Ethan.

His smile widened while he crossed his arms. "Yes, I do. I seem to recall a number of conversations in which you assured me you knew how to cook."

"Excuse me, for wanting to do something nice for mom." She tucked a stray strand of brown hair behind her ear, frowning at the pan on the stove.

"I don't think she wants burnt pancakes. Let's get take out." He pursed his lips to keep from laughing at her.

"Why don't you help me, instead of standing there with a smug smile?" She theatrically flipped the burnt pancake over. The smell of burning food hung in the air around them.

He walked over and placed his hands on her shoulders. "I think it's nice you want to do this for mom." He chuckled and stepped away from her. "But next time add a little oil to the pan first, so they don't stick."

She spun around to glare at him, huffing as she pointed a spatula at him. "I'm still mad at you for not answering my calls. It was rude and stupid."

He frowned and lowered his body into a stool at the kitchen island. "I said I'm sorry like a hundred times. But I'll say it again, I'm sorry."

She glared at him and puckered her lips and forehead. "What were you doing anyway? I don't buy the whole…I wanted to be alone thing."

A shudder ran through him when he glanced at his necklace and away from her eyes. "It's not important," He muttered, tapping his fingers hard across the counter.

Charlotte, ever unaware, missed his reaction and continued to berate him for leaving. He let out a long sigh and leaned back to receive her lecture without arguing back.

XXXXX

It took a day for the potion to work and for Lauren to recover. The effects were remarkable: Lauren's face was full of color, no more pain assaulted her body, she was like her old self again. But they knew it was temporary, and they needed to find Lucy as soon as possible, that was proving to be difficult. It was like she'd disappeared.

Lauren leaned on the bathroom sink and stared into the mirror, scrutinizing her face. After so much pain, being without it, was more of a relief than she ever thought possible. It was like an amplified version of having a rotten tooth, then having it removed, except with her entire body. The feeling of release was almost overwhelming.

She felt someone watching her, and slid her eyes to the door, finding Bo. Bo's eyes, warm and full of love, locked on Lauren's for a long moment. Lauren's chest ached as so many emotions overcame her. Bo's expression looked haunted which made Lauren feel guilty for causing her so much worry and stress.

"How are you feeling?" Bo asked, heavy lines creasing her forehead.

Lauren shifted towards Bo, the color in her face bloomed brightly. "I feel wonderful, perfect, healthy. Pain free."

The stress lines on Bo's face washed away, and her eyes sparkled. "I'm so glad." She let out a sigh of relief. "I know it's short term, but…"

Lauren gestured her forward with a head tilt, and Bo walked up to her. She gave Bo a gentle smile and took Bo's hand and wrapped it around her waist and draped her arms around Bo's neck. Tears glittered in Bo's eyes and she squeezed Lauren lightly, still afraid she might be hurting.

"You can do better than that," Lauren gave her an encouraging smile, pulling her close. Bo matched the force of her embrace. Bo's strength, both physical and mental momentarily overpowered Lauren, she lost herself in the comfort of her warmth and the sweetest on her scent.

Bo on the brim with tears whispered. "I've been so scared for you."

Lauren brushed her lips against Bo's lips, and whispered back. "I told you I wasn't going anywhere."

Bo's heart lightened a little at Lauren's words, but she was still aware that this wasn't over and Lucy needed to be found as soon as possible. In her mind, there was still too much at stake, too many things could go wrong. For a brief instant, she allowed those thoughts to be pushed to the back of her mind and she kissed Lauren back.

XXXX

Ten minutes later, Bo and Lauren entered the kitchen. Ethan, Charlotte and Mac rushed over and barreled into Lauren with hugs like they used to when they were younger. Tears in all their eyes, even abrasive Charlotte, had to wipe away tears hugging her mother.

"I've been so worried about you," Mac said, looking up at her with teary eyes.

"We all have," Ethan added, squeezing Lauren's shoulder, in a comforting motion. Tears that were hovering in his eyes slowly trickled down.

"Yeah, mom we were all going a little crazy around here," Charlotte said, her gaze focused on Lauren. "We're all so thankful that you're feeling better."

Lauren smiled looking back and forth between them, with a pang of guilt for upsetting them. "I'm sorry I worried everyone. I've been concerned about all of you." Her thoughts on Mac's illness, Charlotte's pregnancy, Ethan's trip, Bo's stresses with caring for her.

Bo smiled at Lauren. There was a part of her that was a little more in love with Lauren than ever. A woman who'd just recovered from a horrific experience was still more concerned about her family than herself. It was admirable, also, crazy because she needed to worry about herself right now. Her smile slipped into a frown. "Lauren, you need to focus on you."

Lauren gave Bo a nod of understanding and took a seat. "I'm still a little puzzled about all of this." She sighed, and stared off into space, thinking. "So, what's the plan for breaking this curse you didn't really elaborate much?"

"Where do you think Lucy would go, Lauren? All her houses are empty, according to Mark and Dyson." Bo asked and watched all their faces, feeling energized. They were all together, the family, and they were going to overcome this and save Lauren. And she was anxious to get started.

"Honestly, I don't know. I don't know much about her outside of work. She never talked about family or friends with me." Lauren admitted.

Charlotte scoffed, tossing her head to the side. "Probably because she doesn't have any."

"That's kind of sad, though, isn't it?" Mac said, averting her eyes from Charlotte's appalled gaze. She hunched down feeling Charlotte eyes on her.

A dark cloud of anger swept over Bo, and she pushed it aside, for the moment. "No. She's psychotic."

Lauren frowned. "We don't know that for sure, it's only a theory."

"No, I know." Bo couldn't shake the guilt that she let Lucy go which led to all this mess. She should have recognized the madness in Lucy's eyes. But she'd felt sorry for her in a way, and that blinded her to what a threat she was. "And I'm going to kill her." She muttered darkly.

Lauren leaned forward, and squeezed Bo's hand. "Bo, no."

Bo gave Lauren a wary look, sensing where Lauren was headed with that. She was not happy about where this conversation was going. She veered her eyes away from her and tightened her lips.

Lauren watched Bo's reaction but continued. "I'm not going to have you kill someone for me. There has to be another way."

Bo stood abruptly and paced around the kitchen table. "There isn't Lauren. Look what she did to you. This isn't up for discussion; Lucy has to go." She stomped her foot hard on the floor as if that was the end of the discussion.

"Bo, is this how we deal with things now?" Lauren asked dismally. "You make the decisions, and we fall in line or else?"

The room fell into silence, and Bo frowned in thought. "If you're not making any sense then yes."

Lauren slumped her head, she stared at her hands clasped together in her lap and tried to think of a way to calm Bo and reason with her. "She needs help. I could…"

Bo's jaw dropped, and she continued to pace around the kitchen. "Lauren just stop, no." She was getting increasingly irate that they were wasting valuable time debating this. As far as she was concerned it was pretty black and white, she'd let Lucy go once, and look what happened. There was no second chance here.

Ethan, Charlotte, and Mac sat quietly watching the battle of wills that was happening in front of them. Exchanging glances as they listened silently.

"She could have killed me, but she didn't," Lauren said calmly, and quietly.

"No, she only tortured you." Bo responded briskly when Lauren still looked persistent, she added. "Just because she could have done something worse doesn't give her a free pass."

"But I'm alive. She just needs to be locked up somewhere where she can get the help she needs. There are plenty of institutions, holding facilities…"

Bo stopped pacing and stared at Lauren in disbelief.

The back and forth stopped when Jasmine entered the house. She paused in the doorway, scanning their faces. She looked ready to burst with the news she had. "Well, lovelies I have some news." She placed her hands on her hips and grinned at them. They all stared at her expectantly. She continued. "It seems our little Lucy was adopted twenty years ago by one Evony Allen or, as you may know her, Evony Fleurette Marquise, the former Morrigan of the Dark Fae."

Bo groaned, on the brink of losing her cool. "Be serious Jasmine. We're running out of time. I'm not in the mood for your games."

Jasmine's laugh rang out suddenly. "You love games. I remember…"

"Shut up, Jasmine." Bo snapped promptly. "You will not disrespect my wife by talking about that stuff." She marched throws her aggressively, daring her to challenge her.

"Bo, calm down." Lauren cut in, sensing the escalation that was happening.

Bo stopped and turned to Lauren, all this had Bo reeling and she was getting gradually more upset every second. "It's not funny right now, she's crossing a line."

Jasmine eyed Bo intently, her smile fading. "Ok, I can see you're in a real state right now, so I'll let that go. But I am serious. I have the records right here." She tossed the folder on the table in front of them.

Ethan scooped up the folder and flipped through the pages. "Then Evony's the one behind this. There are no coincidences in the Fae world." He said while reading the documents.

"It seems like the likeliest answer," Charlotte added, reading over his shoulder.

Lauren watched them before turning to Bo. "That means Lucy is a victim herself."

Bo scoffed. "No. She doesn't get out of this responsibility because she had a mean stepmother. Plenty of people have shitty childhoods and don't go around cursing people. It's not an excuse."

"Bo, I'm not saying she's well..."

Bo held her hand up and shook her head. "I'm done with this discussion. Lucy has to go. Period. No more arguments."

"I agree," Ethan said, his head down reading.

Lauren cocked her head and gave him a puzzled look. "Ethan, you're not serious."

"What I do, I agree," Ethan said without looking at Lauren.

Lauren glanced away from him and focused on the others. "What do you think Charlie…Mac?"

"I agree with Lauren," Mac said quietly, avoiding Bo's eyes. "Batman never killed the Joker." She added not really sure if she was helping or not.

Ethan jerked his head up from the documents. "Yeah and how many people suffered because of that decision." He countered.

Charlotte wrinkled her face. "I don't know what you two are going on about, but I agree we can't just kill someone."

It took Bo a moment to follow what was happening. "This isn't a vote." She snapped, losing her composure.

Lauren narrowed her eyes on Bo. "We're a family, this is a family discussion."

"Maybe focus on finding Lucy first," Ethan interjected, growing impatient with the back and forth.

"I agree with that. The first step is finding her." Bo said, nodding along with Ethan's words.

"I'm coming with you," Lauren said, and leaned back in her seat, preparing for Bo's resistance.

Bo snapped her attention back to Lauren, exasperation all over her face. "No, you need to rest. I'm not endangering you."

"I'm Lucy's target. I should be there." Lauren responded firmly.

Ethan came to stand in front of his parents resting his hands at his sides. "Then I'm coming too."

"No. I'm going alone." Bo protested using a stern tone, not liking the thought of Lauren and Ethan being part of a dangerous situation.

"You need back-up," Ethan said, matching the firmness in Bo's tone.

They all stared at her and waited. After several minutes of consideration, letting it all sink in, she sat next to Lauren. Finally, she relented with a heavy sigh. "Fine."

XXXX

Bo packed her bags for the trip, and Lauren let out an elated breath sinking into the bed. She stretched out her body and closed her eyes. "Has this bed always been so gloriously comfortable?" After some much pain, even laying on the soft bed felt like a miracle.

Bo stopped, climbed into the bed and stretched out next to her. She savored this moment of contentment, after so much time worrying about Lauren she allowed herself to relax, momentarily, and enjoy having Lauren next to her. "I'm worried about you coming along. Lucy is unstable." She said, running her fingers over Lauren's leg, comfortingly.

Lauren shook her head. "I'll be fine. Besides, you'll be there by my side."

Bo slid her hands up to Lauren's shoulder, lightly massaging them. "I can't offer Lucy compassion after what she did to you. You can't ask me too. We don't know what she's capable of doing, what means you'll use to fulfill her delusions."

Lauren leaned into Bo's body, enjoying the warmth of her touch. "We'll worry about that later."

"Ok." Bo responded quietly. She leaned over Lauren and searched her face thoughtfully. "By the way after we break this curse, I want to have another baby." She surprised herself by announcing that out loud, at that moment, but it's what she wanted, so she decided to remain resolved in her statement.

Lauren jerked her head up and stared wordlessly at Bo for a long time.

"I'm serious." Bo trailed her fingers down Lauren's face. "And I want you to carry the baby this time."

Lauren swallowed and froze, save her eyes that were traveling back and forth between Bo's eyes. "I…there's so much going on…I…That's a really complicated decision…" Lauren stumbled over her words, caught off guard by Bo's declaration, unsure about her own feelings and thoughts. In truth, she haven't really thought much about having another child.

"Lauren, I don't want to plan for bad things, I want to plan and look forward to good things. So yes I want another baby. I want our family to grow." She brought her lips down to Lauren's mouth in a kiss. The kiss lingered for a time while they both relaxed into it.

When they finally drew apart Bo smiled, "Think about it," She whispered, and eased Lauren's head back down and rubbed her back gently to soothe her into sleep. Bo wasn't looking for an answer that night. She just wanted to make it clear to Lauren that's what she wanted, to embrace happiness and push into the future, leaving everything else in the past. Of course, dealing with Lucy came first but that would happen soon enough.

* * *

 **AN**

 **Greetings,**

 **Next update, the curse business gets resolved.**

 **Sorry about the short update but I'll probably keep updating this story with short updates until it's complete. I'd like to finish it soon.**

 **Thanks for reading.**


	27. Chapter 27

Bo held a defensive stance lingering outside of the mansion. She wore a tough, ready-for-action expression, along with a knife holstered on the side of one of her thighs. After assessing the grounds, turning her head side to side, she nodded Lauren and Ethan forward. "Ethan, you secure Evony. Lauren, you don't leave my side."

"Bo, I can take care of myself," Lauren said indignantly with a little bit in her tone, aggravated for reasons she couldn't explain.

Bo turned to look at her. "You wanted to come, fine. But I'm not letting you out of my sight. Lucy's dangerous, and after you." She continued to watch Lauren closely.

Lauren dragged her eyes to Ethan and back to Bo. A few more moments of hesitation and she relented without arguing and nodded her agreement in Bo's direction.

The trio strolled up to a groundskeeper, Bo leading the way. He looked them over, and after a moment turned outright hostile, waving them away with his hand. "You can't be here." He said sharply.

Bo forced a friendly smiled and slowly stepped closer to him. "We're old friends of Evony. We need to talk to her."

He looked skeptical. Immediately, a look of utter loathing filled his eyes. "I said leave." He ordered in a snappy, loud voice.

Bo's hand shot out quickly, and she grabbed his hand firm. A powerful energy flowed from her into him, as she squeezed tighter. "Take us to Evony." She whispered, sending more energy into his body, stroking her fingers over his skin.

He gaped at her with an eager expression, his resistance gone, he started up the path with them following closely behind. They trailed behind him down an immaculate pathway, which eventually opened up to a huge yard in front of the large mansion. It kind of reminded Bo of a Gothic castle from the old horror movies she'd seen. She mused that it was more than perfect for someone like Evony.

He led them towards the house. Once they reached the front door, three hulking guards stood in front of the entrance with hard faces. They exchanged confused glances and pivoted their bodies in front of the door. Bo nudged the groundskeepers forward. "It's ok, they're here to see Evony. They have an appointment." Bo kept her hand firm on his skin to guarantee her continued control over him. The guards stepped aside but eyed them carefully.

They entered the house and were greeted by a wide-eyed Butler, who shifted nervously looking at them. Quickly, Bo was at his side, her fingers on his arm. With a prompt pulse of coaxing, he gave them all the information they needed about Evony and Lucy's whereabouts.

They were escorted into a large and luxurious waiting room. Bo primed her body for any threats and turned to Ethan. "Go get Evony, we'll get Lucy."

He nodded and headed up the stairs. Bo watched him climb the steps and grabbed Lauren's hand. "Let's go."

XXXXX

They paused outside Lucy's room and Bo stood in front of Lauren. "I'll go in first." She slowly turned the knob and opened the door. Cautiously, she walked to the bed that was in the middle of the room.

Bo knew immediately there was something wrong because the bed was empty. She glanced over her shoulder and found Lauren frozen in place, her mouth opened in shock.

"Don't move, Bo." A voice called out from behind Lauren, and Bo caught a glimpse of the gun that was pointed at Lauren's head.

"Easy there." Bo slowly turned to face Lauren and the voice. It was Lucy, and she was armed, holding a gun to Lauren's head, with her arm wrapped tightly around her neck. Bo knew she was faster than Lucy and could save herself, but that didn't mean Lauren would walk away unharmed. And as she locked eyes on Lauren, her heart did a quick slide into her stomach, but she kept her expression clear.

Bo swerved her gaze to the weapon, unblinking, her chest squeezing as she lifted her hands up. "What are you doing, Lucy? This is crazy."

Bo saw Lucy pull Lauren backward, but she didn't move. She kept all her attention on Lauren's face.

"Move back!" Lucy shrieked, and Bo took a few cautious steps backward, gritting her teeth, seething with anger.

Bo forced as much boldness as she could. "If you really love Lauren, as you claim, why hurt her? Why are you putting her in danger?"

Silence ensued, and Lucy pulled Lauren further back towards the door.

Lauren glanced down at Lucy's arms, which were covered in abrasions. "We can help you, Lucy. Please, come home with us and we'll make sure you get the help you need. We can break this curse together, both be free." She shifted her eyes back to Bo.

A dangerous gleam flared in Lucy's eyes. "I don't need help! My stepmother tried to lock me up too! I don't need help! I need love." Her voice was frantic, and she began rambling. "It's my turn for love! I did this for us! So you'd understand my love!"

Alarm flashed briefly across Bo's face, Lucy's voice was manic. Clearly, she was unstable making the situation more precarious. "Lucy, but why do you want to hurt, Lauren? If you love her let her go."

Lucy laughed out loud, shaking her head quickly. "Back off, Bo." She ordered, slowly retreating with Lauren. Lauren covered up most of her body, acting as a shield.

"Sorry, can't do that, not until you let Lauren go." Bo's gaze fastened on Lauren, trying to comfort her with her eyes.

"Lucy, I don't understand this, what are you doing?" Lauren asked, quietly and calmly. Studying Bo, Lauren saw, her arms tightly at her side, her eyes shone. The air in the room stirred, it was faint but there. And Lauren knew exactly what was coming.

"I'm going to prove my love." Lucy's eyes were burning, the madness taking over her.

Adrenaline and power filled Bo, sharpening her mind, allowing her to make a decision. A crackle of power rippled through the room, and her. Bo glared at Lucy, her eyes shifted to a flaming blue. "Let her go," She demanded again, her voice echoing off the walls of the room.

A moment later, the air and pressure in the room intensified even more.

"Lucy, this doesn't have to end this way, please." Lauren tried to reason with Lucy again. Slowly, she brought her hand up and stroked Lucy's arm to try and soothe her. "Tell us what you want, what do you need?"

Lucy began to sob behind Lauren. "No one's ever loved me. Why can't I have happiness?"

"The world's a cruel place, sometimes," Lauren said, still soothing her with gentle strokes. "But this isn't the way."

"If we die together our love will be eternal," Lucy choked out, pressing the gun into Lauren's temple.

There was a dangerous gleam in Lucy's eyes that immediately put Bo on alert. With no hesitation, she threw herself into full succubus mode, destruction scorched in her blue eyes, her stance constricted. She felt energy jolt through her body, the darkness wreathing her. But this was a power Bo no longer feared. She controlled it.

Lauren glanced up at Bo and met her penetrating blue gaze, while Lucy, unaware of what was coming, shifted them back again.

Bo sprang into action and her mouth opened siphoning chi directly from a confused Lucy. Her body went rigid; she released Lauren and with remarkable force fell lifelessly on the floor.

At the same time, Lauren's body shook fiercely, and her vision blurred. A swirling feeling stirred throughout her body. That would be the curse leaving her, she supposed. Lightness filled her stomach. Her knees buckled as all these sensations increased and spread to her head. She was only faintly aware of Bo catching hold of her as she fell.

Bo gathered Lauren into a hug, pulling her to her feet. "I had to. She was going to kill you." She whispered against Lauren's cheek, finally letting the tears run down her face.

Lauren nodded and pulled Bo close, her heart heavy as she glanced down at Lucy's lifeless body. She exhaled and sank into Bo's arms. The loss of life seemed pointless, she could have helped Lucy. But in the end it had been too late, Lucy was too far gone into her own madness.

XXXXX

The antique clock beside her ticked away the seconds, Evony scoffed and threw it to the floor. The constant clicking of the clock seemed to be taunting her counting down the final moments of her short human life. But she, in truth, had a long life-a Fae life full of struggle, loss and she'd known great power. But she didn't want to join the ones who'd died so many years ago. She didn't want to take that journey alone. But she was alone-she had no one.

Tentatively, Ethan entered her room. At the foot of the bed, he stood still, looking Evony up and down.

"Who are you?" Evony asked sitting up and staring furiously at him.

He took a seat next to her. "You know my mothers, I believe."

She waved her hand in the air. "I'm an old woman I don't have time for this. What do you want?"

"I want to know why you had my mother cursed?" Ethan sighed angrily and then looked at her with a grimily.

Evony's face wrinkled in confusion and annoyance. "What in the hell are you talking about boy?"

"Don't play dumb." He responded sharply.

She chuckled at him and sipped her water. "You really know nothing, dear boy."

"You want me to believe you had nothing to do with Lucy's insanity." He snapped back but quickly composed himself.

Evony made a tsking sound, with her tongue. "That girl was always troubled. I knew it the moment I entered her life. I tried to get her help, but she refused."

"I don't believe that. It was you." Ethan shot back, his voice full of reproach.

"I failed. That woman's insane, beyond help." Evony wrapped the blanket tightly around her shoulders.

He scoffed. "Why would you try to help her?"

Evony wheezed as her thin chest rose and fell in a struggle to draw breath. "Insane or not. She's all I have." She sat her eyes on him with a hint of sadness flashing through them. "Family legacy becomes an important thing when facing down death."

Ethan hesitated over his next response, and his attention was pulled to the door as Lauren and Bo entered the bedroom.

Evony rolled her eyes. "Of course, I should have known." She shook her head. "I can't believe you two are still together." She paused and gaped at Lauren. "Why haven't you aged? Turned yourself Fae for your lover, huh?" She arched her eyebrows watching Lauren's face.

Lauren ignored her question and slowly walked to the bed. "What did you do to Lucy?"

"I've done nothing to that woman. I have years worth of documentation about that woman's unstable behavior." Evony held a hard gaze on Lauren. "Sorry, Dr. Lewis but I'm not to blame here. Her wickedness predates me entering the family."

"You didn't send Lucy after me?" Lauren asked, studying Evony's face for signs of deception.

"No." Evony gestured to her legs. "Look at me. I can't even walk, I'm old and dying." She glared at Lauren.

Lauren glanced somberly at the bottles of medication by Evony's side. She turned her attention back to Evony, slowly making a decision. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, knowing this choice would seem crazy to everyone. And yet, she knew it was the right one to make.

After several minutes, Lauren looked at Bo conflicted about the decision she was making. She nudged herself into making a fixed choice and went to get the wheelchair in the corner of the room.

"What are you doing?" Bo asked bewildered, watching Lauren.

Lauren kept her head down and assembled the chair. "No one should die alone. She's coming home with us."

Quickly, Bo was at her side, grabbing her arm, her face serious. "What are you talking about?"

Lauren pushed away the last of her indecision and turned her attention to Bo. "We couldn't help Lucy, but maybe we can give Evony some peace at the end of her life."

"I don't like it." Bo tightened her lips, and stiffened her stance.

Lauren's expression shifted, her face filled with compassion. "If she's close we can watch her. It's my responsibility to help her."

They stared at each other, as if having an unspoken argument with their eyes. After several minutes, Bo threw up her hands in submission and shrugged. "Ok, Evony's coming home with us," She said, but the very idea of it made her shudder. But she didn't push the matter, the determination on Lauren's face had persuaded her.

Lauren smiled and gave a small nod. She pushed the chair beside the bed and stared down at Evony. Clearly, Evony had aged, she was thin, her shoulders hunched from age, wisps of gray hair hung down her face, but eyes were still as alert as ever.

"Can't I be done with you? Even on my deathbed?" Evony asked Lauren through clenched teeth.

"It's time to move on, Evony. Come home with us. You don't want to die alone." Lauren kept her voice even and her tone gentle.

Evony arched an eyebrow as she carelessly shrugged her thin shoulders. "You won, Lauren. I'm old, alone, inching towards death. Isn't that what you wanted?"

"Maybe." Lauren took a deep breath. "Years ago, but I'm older and wiser now. I have nothing to gain by standing by while you die alone. It's over, Evony, have some peace now."

"Never thought I'd live long enough to see this day," Evony said shaking her head in skepticism.

"You've made a lot of mistakes, Evony. Here's a chance to let go of the past, and move on peacefully. Let us help give that to you."

Bo stood by Lauren and placed a hand on her shoulder, in an act of solidarity. A long, uncomfortable silence filled the room. Bo and Lauren looked down at Evony and Evony stared back. Ethan paced in the corner of the room, not interrupting the conversation.

After what seemed like an endless amount of time, Evony's eyes narrowed, as she looked Lauren up and down. "I have done a lot over my centuries of living. Some good. Mostly bad." She said, turning her attention to Bo. "Perhaps you're right. It's time for a truce, my body's in too much pain, I have no fight left in me. I'm only an old woman with no one left in the world."

XXXX

"This is so weird. Our bizarre little family just got a lot stranger." Charlotte shook her head in disbelief when her parents told her about Evony staying with them. "Things are never dull in this family that's for sure."

Ethan threw an arm around Charlotte's shoulder and gently rocked her back and forth. "Always one to state the obvious, huh, Charlie?"

Charlotte glared at him and clamped her mouth shut, refusing to take the bait. She was resolved to continue on her new path of maturity; she was approaching motherhood, after all.

"This family is kinda like a disaster magnet," Mac said, a slightly confused expression puckered on her forehead. "I don't know Evony, is she nice?"

Lauren and Bo shook their heads in unison.

Lauren turned her head away from them and stared off at the house. "No, but it's important that we show compassionate to others, even Evony."

Bo studied Lauren's profile. "I'll follow your lead on this, Lauren. But I'll be keeping a close eye an Evony." She said, after a few seconds hesitation.

Lauren leaned into Bo's body and kissed her cheek. "As you should. I haven't forgotten who Evony is, or what's she's done. But she's dying and alone."

They sat at the table outside in the backyard, drinking and eating in comfortable silence for several minutes.

Ethan finally broke the quiet. "So, what now? The curse is broken. Lucy's gone." He shrugged. "We're helping Evony for some reason."

Lauren took Mac's hand. "Now, I focus all my attention on Mac."

Charlotte snorted. "Until the next crisis you mean." Her eyes flicked to Mac. "Sorry, Mac I didn't mean that." Mac smiled and patted Charlotte's hand in response.

"This family goes through a lot, but the important thing is we stick together and face it together," Bo said, tucking her arm through Lauren's arm, slowly pulling her to her feet. She steered Lauren back down the yard away from the group.

Lauren fell in step with her, noting this was how things always should be, the family together, and she intended on making sure it stayed that way.

Ethan watched his mothers walk away arm and arm. He turned to Mac. "But how on earth are we going to survive having three Charlotte's running around?"

"Hey!" Charlotte gasped out and poked the side of Ethan's face with her finger.

Ethan rubbed his face and laughed. "It should be interesting, that's for sure. Maybe we'll get lucky, and they'll take after Jon."

Mac pursed her lips together and covered her mouth, hiding her smile from Charlotte.

Charlotte glared at Mac and Ethan, she slid her arms over her chest and leaned back in her chair.

Meanwhile, away from the group, Bo wrapped her arms around Lauren. "So."

"So," Lauren repeated with a smile. "Grandchildren. Curses. A new crazy houseguest. Mac's illness. Remarrying…It's a lot over a short period of time."

"Actually, this all sounds like a pretty average day for us." Bo flashed her a cheerful grin.

"That's true. I'm slightly worried about what we'll face next." Lauren responded back in good humor.

Bo rubbed her fingers up and down Lauren's sides. "Maybe a new baby?" She whispered into Lauren's cheek before gently kissing it.

Lauren's gaze fell on their family off in the distance, eating and laughing at the table under the sun. "Yeah, about that." She started reluctantly.

Bo bent her head back and gave Lauren a curious look.

"Don't you think that's a lot to take on, on top of everything else?" Lauren asked while she fluttered a hand in the direction of the trio.

Bo followed her gesture up the yard to their family and considered Lauren's question for a moment. "Well, how about we talk about it again in a couple of years?"

Lauren locked her hands behind Bo's back and pulled her close. "Absolutely. I need to focus on Mac and those grandchildren. That's where our attention needs to be right now."

"Ok. I agree. We have a lot of time, no need to rush that decision." Bo's head bowed, and she kissed Lauren's shoulder, in a gesture to let Lauren know she was ok with this decision.

Lauren nodded, she slid a finger under Bo's chin, lifting her face. "I've been giving a lot of thought to Mac's transformation."

Their gazes were locked; many unspoken things passed between them.

"It's what she wants, Lauren," Bo said at last. She reached up and parted Lauren's hair, moving it away from her face so she could study her, gazing into her eyes almost as if she could see inside her.

Lauren smiled back. "I know. But I'm not comfortable with her taking this risk alone." She brought her hands up and placed them over Bo's hands, which were still cupping her face.

"What do you mean?"

Lauren stopped to gather her thoughts. She concentrated on the warmth of Bo's touch. "I think that's a journey Mac and I should take together."

Bo frowned, deciphering what she could see in Lauren's face, weighing her words. She held back her questions and didn't speak.

Lauren drew Bo closer, and slipped her hands down Bo's body, resting her hands on her hips. "It wasn't my serum this time, but it got me thinking about how one day it could fail. Without notice, without warning. It's too risky." She leaned back completely, so she could study Bo's expression closely. "I'm not leaving all of you. I won't let that happen."

"This is what you want? To become Fae?"

Lauren leaned forward, letting her mouth softly brush over Bo's lips. She drew back, just slightly so she could speak. "Yes, it is. I'm ready, and it's the right decision. For our family, for me, for us."

Swirling her eyes back up to their family, momentarily, then back to Lauren, Bo nodded. "It's your decision, and I support whatever you want to do. We'll face this new beginning together, as a family."

Lauren's smile grew, and Bo watched her lips, her own smile growing. Bo locked their arms together, and they strolled back up the yard to join their family.

* * *

 **XXXX**

 **AN**

 **Next update, Time jump**

 **A couple more chapters then this one's complete.**

 **Thanks for reading.**


	28. Chapter 28

_4 years and several months later…_

The hazy sunlight flowed through the open curtains in their bedroom, as Bo slipped on her clothes. A quick look at the time told her she needed to be quick because the baby would be waking up soon. Even though, she was only a few months old Abigail had a very set schedule when it came to her sleeping patterns.

A soft click of the door opening intruded her thoughts and she spun around in that direction. "Good morning," Lauren said when she entered the bedroom carrying two large cups of coffee. She sat Bo's down on the dresser and slowly sipped from her cup. "Did you sleep well?" She raised her eyebrows giving a lively look.

Bo strode toward her, her eyes sparkling in the light gleaming through the window behind her. "I did. Thanks to you." She answered, her mouth quirked up in a small smile. Never one to be discreet Bo openly roamed her eyes over Lauren's body, biting her bottom lip.

Lauren smirked and shifted her eyes to the clock. "Charlotte will be here in two hours to set up for the triplet's birthday party."

Bo was at her side swallowing a small amount of coffee. "We'll be lucky if we get through it with no meltdowns."

Lauren cleared her throat to muffle her laugh. "Are you talking about the boys or Charlotte?"

"Both, actually." Bo leaned back on the dresser, crossing her legs, observing Lauren carefully. "Have I told you lately what a genius you are?"

Lauren playfully rolled her eyes, blowing the steam off her coffee before taking another sip.

"I'm serious. Using my blood to cure Mac and help Evony, turning yourself and Mac Fae. Then, because you're brilliant, using your egg and my DNA to help us conceive our daughter. How do you even find time to sleep?" Bo asked in astonishment, even now Lauren's brilliance never ceased to amaze her. When two years ago, Lauren explained to her that their next child could be conceived without a donor, using her egg and cells from Bo's body, she couldn't believe it at first. In truth, she didn't understand the science behind it, but Abby was there and biologically their child.

Lauren pulled Bo out of her thoughts. "Ethan helped a lot. And having a loving and supportive family and wife."

Bo shot her a quick grin. "Oh, I know all those sandwiches I brought you helped a lot."

"Don't underestimate how important a supportive spouse can be, it's very important."

Bo laughed and caught Lauren's hand, pulling them together. "I know, I was joking. Those were some damn good sandwiches, though."

They stayed close, close enough that Lauren could smell the coffee on Bo's breath. "Now, I'm looking forward to taking some real time off." Lauren said, realizing how much she'd been shuffling from one problem to the next since they'd remarried, but she was optimistic that finally she could relax and simply enjoy her family.

"I think you've more than earned that," Bo said as Lauren linked her arms around her neck. Bo grinned and trailed a finger down Lauren's neck. "Too bad you didn't choose to become a telepath, or you could be reading all the interesting things on my mind." She met Lauren's eyes and wiggled her eyebrows.

With her arms still draped around Bo's neck Lauren gently pulled her closer. "I don't need to be a mind reader to know what's on your mind."

Bo raised her eyebrows and hovered her mouth over Lauren's lips. "Ok. What am I thinking about right now?"

"Hmm." Lauren moved her lips to her ear. "That's easy, breakfast probably pancakes."

"Haha. Close." Bo guided Lauren to the bed and pulled her down. Lauren hung over her, pressing into Bo's body. Bo lifted her hands to touch her face and smooth away her tumbling hair.

"The baby will be up soon." Lauren reminded her, watching Bo start to unbutton her shirt.

Bo pushed Lauren's shirt off her shoulders. "All the more reason to get a quickie in now." She nuzzled into Lauren's neck, her breath warm against her skin.

Lauren gave in to temptation and moved closer, shifting her face down, so they were a breath apart. "When you're right, you're right."

Bo's closed her eyes, and slowly her lips twisted into a smile, Lauren unable to stop herself smiled back. The smiles faded, and they suddenly turned serious. They lurched forward into a kiss, prying each other's clothes off with their lips still locked together.

XXXXX

Afterward, Bo and Lauren strolled hand and hand into the nursery. "Hey, princess," Bo said sweetly, walking over to the crib. Abigail kicked her feet happily in her pajamas decorated with tiny penguins, her tiny arms reaching up. She looked at them with astonishingly alert eyes, eyes that were constantly learning and discovering something new about the world around her. Her dark blonde hair tousled from sleep, her cheeks rosy, she beamed as they approached, kicking her feet with more excitement, her whole body bouncing from the force.

"How is it she looks so much like you and nothing like me?" Bo whispered into Lauren's shoulder, her eyes still on a bouncy Abby.

"Truthfully, it's hard to tell, at this point, who she'll look like, her features change almost weekly." Lauren rested her hand on Bo's back, rubbing it with small circles.

"Come here, sweetie," Lauren crooned proudly, gathering the baby up in her arms. She kissed her chubby cheek with a smile, inhaling the sweet baby smell. She bounced on her feet rocking the baby, gently palming her back.

Bo's eyes roamed over her daughter and wife for a long moment. Lauren's face was covered with pure joy and wonder that it was amazing for Bo to behold. "She's pretty incredible, huh?" Bo said drifting her eyes down to their daughter.

Lauren dragged her eyes away from Abby. "Incredible doesn't even begin to cover it," She answered, watching Abby's finger wrap around her fingers. Abby's curious eyes focused on Lauren's finger as if it was the most fascinating thing she'd ever seen.

Bo nodded and sank into a nearby rocking chair. She patted her leg inviting Lauren and Abby to join her. With a small delicate motion, Lauren adjusted the baby on her chest and eased them down onto Bo's lap. Immediately, Bo wrapped her arms around Lauren and gave Abby a radiant smile.

Their daughter was adorable. Tiny nose, tiny fingers, tiny ears. She had plump cheeks, perfectly chubby baby belly, wispy dark blonde hair covered her head, and her light brown eyes were large and expressive framed with long dark lashes. A bright smile spread over her face, creating a small dimple in one cheek. They swayed back and forth, in unison, Lauren patting Abby's back soothingly.

They sat together in the baby's room watching her, loving every perfect feature of her, smiling along with every coo, every giggle, every breath. Every tiny movement or detail seemed to amaze and enchant them. They were so caught up in admiring Abby that they didn't hear Ethan and Charlotte enter the house.

XXXXX

An hour later the birthday party was about to begin, Ethan shook his head at a disheveled and wide-eyed Charlotte, as she hurried around the kitchen getting things ready for the party. Her clothes were stained with cookies, milk, chocolate-at least he hoped that was chocolate, her hair in a messy ponytail. "I can't believe you leave the triplets with Evony, are you crazy?"

She glared at him, her face flushed with annoyance. "They listen to her. They're afraid of her which makes her the perfect babysitter." She leaned on the kitchen counter, putting the last touches on the cakes. "I don't know how she does it."

He rested on the table and watched her. "Probably because she's evil, that helps."

Charlotte sighed in frustration. "She's good with them, and since her health is improving, I see no problem letting her spend time with them."

He popped a grape in his mouth, and shrugged. "I guess every family needs an evil great-aunt." He leaned over her shoulder. "You made them three separate cakes?"

Charlotte gave a theatrical scoff and shoved him back. "They don't agree on anything."

A moment later, Lewis, Bobby, and Patrick burst open the back door and came bouncing inside, with the energy of a small tornado. Their small, active bodies ran around the kitchen, their brown hair tangled and wild, their faces rosy from playing.

When they ran by Charlotte scooped Lewis up, she glared at Ethan over her shoulder as she put the squirming boy on the kitchen counter. She settled him down and reached for a wet towel so she could wipe away the filth he had on his flushed cheeks. "They're always dirty! How in the world do these little bodies accumulate so much filth throughout the day?"

Lewis giggled when she wiped him down. She leaned down and kissed his cheek. "You're a mess." She said in a sweet voice.

He flashed her a big smile and pointed at his brothers. "Brothers are messy too." He bounced up and down eager to get back to playing with his brothers.

Charlotte glanced at the other boys as she scrubbed the grime away. "I know. They're next."

She sat him back down, as he ran by Ethan ruffled his hair. "Bye, Uncle Ethan." He called as he bolted off to join his brothers.

A few minutes later, Jon joined the playing, wrestling with the energetic triplets. "Easy now." He said as they climbed up his body pushing him to the floor.

In the corner of the living room Evony and Jasmine sat drinking wine, chatting and watching the kids. "Those kids are cute enough to make me want to have babies," Jasmine said, pouring herself a generous amount of wine. "I imagine my children would be very attractive and clever."

"Oh, honey no don't ruin that figure," Evony said, swirling the glass in her hand. They tipped their glasses together and drank their wine watching the boys pile on top of Jon, fall and get back up with wide smiles.

"This family seemed to be obsessed with breeding, good grief." Evony sneered but held a faint smile watching the boys. She shook her head. "Three incubi this family has no idea what's coming." She scoffed. "It's like they're creating an army or something."

Jasmine watched as Bo and Lauren entered the room, Bo carrying Abby. "I wonder what kinky sex games those two play with Lauren's powers. So many possibilities with telekinesis." She sighed getting lost in her own fantasies, for a moment.

Lauren glanced over and caught her eye. Jasmine winked with a grin, and Lauren rolled her eyes and turned away to focus on Bo and the baby.

Evony gave a disgusted snort. "Please, I'm an old woman I don't need more indigestion."

The triplets ran up to greet Evony and Jasmine giving them hugs and kisses, before scurrying off to the other room to play more.

Jasmine arched her eyebrows and gave Evony a significant look. Evony ignored her and rolled her eyes. Much to her surprise, Evony had grown very fond of the triplets, but she wasn't one to openly show her affections.

Bo settled into a chair in the living room still holding Abby. Lauren sat on the arm of the chair next to her, and her eyes roamed over the family, listening to the sounds of laughter. Her eyes filled with delight and pride watching over them.

A few minutes later, Ethan walked up to them with his hands clasped behind his back. "Only three Charlotte meltdowns so far," He said, he peered down at Abby and brushed a finger over her tiny cheek.

"Any news from Brooke," Lauren asked sharply, crossing her arms over her chest.

Ethan waved his hand in the air. He certainly wasn't going to have this fight again in the middle of the triplet's party. "She's working on it," He answered evasively.

"Ethan," Bo said with a stern expression, and a clenched jaw.

He sighed wearily. "Can we not? It's the triplet's birthday. I get it, you two think I made a bad decision by cursing Gus, but I don't agree." He traveled his gaze back and forth between them, a stubborn gleam flashing in his eyes. "I did what I had to do." He gave a swift nod and rushed off in the other direction before they could say anything else.

"What are we going to do with that boy?" Bo asked, studying Lauren's face thoughtfully.

Lauren clasped their hands together and squeezed. "Hopefully, Brooke will locate the demon fire soon, and he can break the curse." She shifted her eyes up and watched Ethan play with the boys, her face wrinkled into a frown. Her heart was heavy every time she thought about the extreme lengths Ethan had gone to, giving up his siren abilities to wipe Gus' memories. But he didn't seem to regret it, which only worried her more. Ethan was resolute in his choice but after many heated arguments he had agreed to break the curse. The triplet's laughter broke her out of her reflections and smiled sweetly at the rambunctious, cheerful boys as they played.

XXXXXX

Outside, the family gathered around a long picnic table eating pizza. Everyone wore smiles; there was a lightness, happiness in the air. The triplets and their friends shouted and laughed as they climbed on large the play set, swung on swings, fell, got up and played again, sweaty, breathless but not close to stopping their activities.

Jon placed his large hands on the table and hefted himself up. He clapped his hands together to get everyone's attention. "Pass the pizza! I wish to make a toast."

Charlotte groaned and gave him a sideways glare. "You don't make toasts with food, Jon. It's customary to use a drink."

Jon waved her off and took large strides to the front of the table. His voice boomed out across the yard, he raised a slice of pizza into the air. "I just wanted to say, before we continue to celebrate the boy's birthday, that we've come a long way as a family, we're growing, and we're thriving." He threw out his giant arms into the air. "Today, we celebrate not only the boys but also all of us." He beamed at the group and sat back down. The rest of the family nodded agreement, clapping softly.

Evony snorted and shook her head. "Nice speech." She said, unamused, sipping from her wine glass.

In the meantime, Charlotte slowly ate her pizza keeping an eye on the boys; she knew it only took a second for them to find trouble and she was ready to spring into action at a moment's notice.

Lauren sat next to her and drifted her gaze between Charlotte and the boys. "I'm so proud of you." She wore a big smile, and her eyes danced. Contentment was written all over her face as she looked at her daughter.

Charlotte's attention moved to Lauren. "Really?" She asked somewhat wistfully.

Lauren nodded emphatically and grabbed her hand. "Yes, you're a great mom, just like I knew you would be. Those boys are fantastic. You're doing a great job." She slid her glance away to the running and snickering triplets.

"Thanks, mom." Charlotte dropped her head and played with her food. "I know I don't say it enough, but you were a great mom." Her head rose, and she looked at Lauren. "Looking back I have a lot of respect for you and everything you juggled all those years. I don't even work, and I can't keep up the triplets. I don't know how you managed it all."

Lauren smiled and waited sensing Charlotte wasn't finished. Charlotte closed her eyes and held in a breath. She was never one to offer apologies easily. It was hard for her. "I'm sorry about how I've treated you. I guess I always wanted to please you, but I never felt like I measured up. I always feared I was a disappointment to you, so I lashed out at you a lot of times, unfairly." She rushed it all out in one breath, afraid if she paused she might lose her nerve.

Lauren squeezed her hand. "No, you could never disappoint me. I love you for you. And you don't have anything to apologize for."

Charlotte nodded and met Lauren's eyes and an unspoken understanding crossed between them. After a moment, her attention wandered back to the boys.

Across the table Mac, holding a sleeping Abby, turned to Bo. "Do you think my mom would be upset I wanted to become Fae?" She asked and peered down at Abby, watching her steady breathing and peaceful expressions.

Bo frowned and studied her face. "No. Your mom would want you to make that decision for yourself, which you did."

Mac sighed sadly, tears inching into her eyes. "I just wish she was here to see and experience all this happiness." She lightly kissed Abby's forehead.

A pained look crossed Bo's face, and they sat in silence for a moment. She hated that Mac was hurting about Kenzi, and truthfully Bo's heart hurt during these times as well. "Me too." She said in a low voice, breaking the silence. "But she would be so ecstatic and proud about the woman you've become. You have her good heart and strength. You love others the same way she did; you bring everyone around you joy. That's a very valuable and important quality."

On Lauren's other side, Dyson stretched out his arm and draped it over Lauren's shoulder. "I still think you should have chosen a wolf shifter." He puffed up his chest and smirked at her. "It would have been great, the two of us, running through the woods, howling at the moon…"

"Haha." Lauren shot back and playfully shoved into his body. "What's wrong with a telekinetic Fae? It's very useful in the lab. My productivity is up twenty-five percent." She said matter-of-factly.

He chuckled and rocked her body back and forth. "It's not very sexy, Doc."

"It's practical." Lauren held her hand out, and quickly a beer can from across the table whizzed into her hand. She handed to Dyson with a sly smirk. "See useful."

Dyson laughed out loud and cracked it open. "You got me. It is handy."

Ethan scanned his eyes from face to face and smiled. "What are you so happy about?" Charlotte asked him noticing his big grin.

"Look how far we've come, it's pretty remarkable," Ethan answered his smile never fading.

She eyed him pointedly and took a bite of her pizza. "Has Brooke been able to locate the demon fire, yet?" She held back further reprimands about his decision to curse Gus; it was an argument they'd had many, many times.

He gave a small dismissive shrug. "It's not easy to find, but she told me yesterday she has a lead. So, you'll see."

Charlotte slapped his arm, hard. "We don't curse people, Ethan." She narrowed her eyes at him. "Keep that in mind next time someone upsets you." She pursed her lips, tightly. "We don't solve our problems by cursing others!" She slipped into the high pitch voice she always used when she lectured him about the curse.

"I don't regret it. Gus is scum, but now that mom doesn't need her serum he's no longer a threat. So, I don't mind breaking it." He took a large bite of his pizza. "And I would do it all over again." He muttered with a mouth full of food.

Charlotte threw up her hands in dismay. "When did I become the sensible twin?" She shook her head in exasperation. "I'm going to have a little chat with Brooke about this, and make sure she knows you are cut off from any more curses."

A soft chuckle escaped Ethan. "A sacrifice made from love is a powerful gift."

She snorted and folded her arms over her chest. "Is that what you tell yourself? You sacrificed your siren abilities for your own petty revenge, nothing else. You've got a couple screws loose I think." She tapped her fingers on his head while she said it.

Ethan wrapped his arm around her and kissed her cheek. "As long as you're looking out for me, I'll be fine. I'm sorry I upset you."

"Humph," She rolled her eyes and rose to her feet. "It's almost time for cake. I'm going to round up the kids." She announced to the table, before hurrying off away from the group.

XXXX

The kids were asleep, the party was over, and all the adults gathered in the backyard under the stars. They all stayed up late catching up, enjoying lively laughter, drinking, easy camaraderie, telling old and new stories.

Bo made her way around the table filling drinks and briefly joining in the conversations before she wandered off alone back into the house. She stood perfectly still looking out the window at the family. A smile of pure happiness crossed her face as she studied the group outside. Her family, all with their own unique personalities, skills, abilities…her family.

And then, Lauren was by her side, and they fell into a lingering kiss and pulled apart to look at each other. Bo stared at Lauren with eyes so full of love, content with everything and everyone in the world.

They settled side-by-side, arms wrapped around each other's waist, gazing out at the group gathered under the night sky. "When's the last time I said I love you," Lauren finally asked, breaking the quiet.

"This morning," Bo whispered pulling her close, tickling her fingers up and down her side.

"That long, huh?" Lauren looked her in the eye with that potency that seemed to peer right into her very core. Bo sank into it and snuggled closer to her.

"This is almost a dream come true, us together, our family. Sometimes it's unreal." Lauren bobbed her head agreeing with her statements and Bo added. "I'll love you forever, Lauren." She kissed her temple.

Bo's sweet words wrapped around her, touching that part of her that only Bo could ever reach. "I'm so happy," Lauren said. "And I love you, too." Then Lauren kissed her, and they stayed there for a long while. She'd meant it to be a sweet gesture, but it ended up hitting them with much more intensity, and they lost themselves for a moment.

With great effort they parted and they relaxed against each other, just breathing, as one, looking out the window. Safe. Linked. Blissful. Comfortable. Together.

Their love united them as one; they were joined only to each other. Even when they were separated, they were never really apart, not in the ways that mattered. It took courage to love another the way they loved, not everyone had the strength to surrender their hearts and soul so completely. But they did, they didn't know any other way to love.

Family, love, life were all rarely flawless, but it was the imperfections that made it great and worth fighting for. They had each other, and that was no small thing. Everything their family had gone through was worth it, it made them stronger. And their struggles were nothing compared to the greatness of their love.

Whatever happened next they would hang on to their family and each other. They chose this life. Lauren chose her path to turn Fae. They chose to reunite, to have their children on their terms. These were their choices and no one else's. They were living the life they wanted, together. They headed back towards the family, hands locked together, to the rest of their lives with each other and their ever-expanding family. The future belonged to them, and there were infinite possibilities before them…

The end.

 **XXXXX**

 **AN**

 **Thanks again for reading until the end. I'm always sad to end a story, but I think this one is complete.**

 **Well, I hope you enjoyed the journey.**

 **XOXO**


	29. Chapter 29

**AN**

 **This is the first part of three bonus chapters I'm doing for this story.**

XXXX

"Disaster, my life is a disaster."

Ethan stayed where he was and eyed his sister. He knew she would continue without being prompted, so he simply waited.

"Another disaster to add to the list." Charlotte plopped on the barstool and rested her chin on her hands, pouting.

Ethan waited silently, her meltdowns ought to be trademarked at this point, he mused. Charlotte was a total drama queen, and really she doesn't try to hide it. If anything she relished in it. True, she was more mature now that she was a mother, but nothing could quell her dramatics entirely. Even the smallest event could send her into a tailspin.

"Gee, thanks for the concern, bro." She flipped her hair back and glared at him.

Ethan tried to hide his smile as he watched her squirm, almost wanting to burst with her complaints.

Charlotte's practically in tears before Ethan wandered over and slung an arm over her shoulder, he smiled down at her and waited.

"I'm tired," She groused loudly, "Children are a lot of work. Those boys are always getting into trouble. And Jon's a nightmare lately."

Ethan dismissed her complaints with a quick headshake. "Chill, you love being a mom, but, of course, it's hard."

"Do you know what they did to my brand new couch? They jump on it, they fart on it, they eat their snacks on it." She banged her head on the bar. "All my stuff is ruined. No one tells you that when you get pregnant, that children destroy everything. I can't even pee by myself. Do you know what it's like to have three boys burst into the bathroom while you're trying to pee or shower?"

"You're being ridiculous. They're kids. Also, lock the bathroom door, problem solved." Ethan responded, sensibly.

"I love them!" Charlotte exclaimed. "But they are monsters. Hyper little devils."

Ethan laughed out loud at her and shook his head. He knew her disaster would be nothing important, just everyday life inconveniences.

Seconds later, Jasmine sauntered into the Dal and planted her hands on her hips. "Well, there you are," She roared, looking directly at Ethan.

Ethan shifted nervously and glanced back and forth between Charlotte and Jasmine.

"Yep, right here," Ethan gave an embarrassed smile.

Jasmine waved her hand and took a few more steps into the bar. She was smug as she narrowed her eyes at Ethan.

Charlotte crossed her arms and stared at Ethan. "What's going on?" She blinked slowly and waited. Ethan pushed his hair back, a tell Charlotte knew well. "Ethan?"

"Nothing." Ethan crossed his arms, matching her, and scowled at his shoes, trying to avoid Charlotte's eyes.

Jasmine gave a wicked smirk and shook her head. "Poor, shy boy. Well, not so shy in certain areas."

"Ethan…you didn't…" Charlotte gasped out with a horrified expression. "She…our mother…Ew…" She groaned and covered her face, sure that her brother had lost his mind sleeping with their mother's former lover. "My brother's an idiot." She declared, bluntly.

Ethan tunneled his fingers through his wavy brown hair again. He glanced around the bar as if looking for someone to help him leave this conversation. But the three of them were alone, the Dal was closed at the moment.

"Why, Ethan? Aren't there enough men and women out there? Outside the family circle? You have to sleep with our mom's former lover?" Charlotte yelled, as her face flooded red with irritation. "You make the worst romantic decisions like ever. Did our moms drop you on your head as a baby?"

"No one can resist me," Jasmine interjected, proudly. "But Dr. Lewis it seems." She sighed and looked around. "She's my impossible dream. I'm afraid."

"Gross." Charlotte snapped without looking at her. Instead, she gave Ethan a disapproving glare. "You do realize you're talking about my mother, right?" She asked Jasmine while her eyes bore down on Ethan.

"Sorry," Jasmine replied with a shrug that said she wasn't actually sorry at all. "But I can't help it if your moms are hot. Actually, it delights me greatly."

Charlotte made a face. "Ew," She muttered just before Jasmine leaned closer into her personal space.

"You're next, honey. I want the whole collection." Jasmine sang out as she back off Charlotte and sashayed off to answer a phone call.

"Gross," Charlotte called out to Jasmine. "I don't share feeding partners with my mother. I have much higher standards than she does." She added, turning her attention back to Ethan.

Ethan snorted a laugh at that. "How can you know that? Do you two give each other a list? Take notes?"

Charlotte's mouth fell open as she considered that. She was at a loss for words.

Ethan snickered again. "You have no idea."

Charlotte pointed a finger directly at Ethan. "You and I are going to have a lovely chat later. Where I will explain to you who is appropriate to sleep with and who isn't. First one on the not list is anyone Bo Dennis has slept with, although that should be obvious."

The door swung open, and relief flooded Ethan when Bo entered the Dal pushing Abby in a stroller.

Bo glanced around the bar. "What's going on?" She asked, taking cautious steps forward. She could sense the tension in the air.

"Really? You bring a three-year-old into a bar?" Charlotte frowned and glanced at Abby. "Very responsible." She rolled her eyes and shook her head at her mother.

"I'm not serving her drinks." Bo clarified with a hint of annoyance. "I'm here doing the inventory before Mac's going away party." She shifted her head down, and touched Abby's little chin and smiled. Abby's excited eyes danced around the bar. They were a shade of golden brown just like Lauren's. Her blonde hair was fine and silky, pulled into a single ponytail on the top of her head, wrapped in a purple ribbon.

"Still. Toddlers don't belong in bars. Where's mom?" Charlotte wrinkled her face, using a snotty tone. "The responsible mom."

"Working." Ethan and Bo answered in unison as Bo walked behind the bar and pulled out her laptop for the opening inventory count.

"Why aren't you working?" Charlotte asked Ethan and glanced down at Abby, who sat in her stroller, singing softly to herself and dancing her doll along the edge of her seat. Charlotte made a face and Abby giggled.

Ethan shrugged, watching his sisters. "I will be soon enough. Mom has like a hundred new projects in the works."

"Are the boys in school?" Bo asked Charlotte.

Charlotte's eyes rounded, and she looked at her mother. "Yes, thank goodness. School is a blessing."

Abby kicked her feet back and forth. "I want snacks," She called up to Bo. "Snacks, momma, snacks," She called out, holding her doll high into the air.

"Everyone will be at the house in a few hours for the family dinner." Bo brushed Abby's full, silky blonde hair back, and bent down to get her snacks from her bag. Abigail had inherited Lauren's features and looked more like her every day. She was calm but headstrong, independent, organized, brilliant, even reading small baby books on her own, well Bo thought she probably just memorized them but still it was impressive. Of their three children, Abby was probably the most like Lauren. And Bo loved watching them together.

"Do you want to come over and help me?" Bo asked glaring up at her older children while she opened a bag of pretzels and handed it to an eager Abby. "Mac's leaving next week."

Charlotte scoffed. "I wish I could travel around the world on mom's dime. Must be nice." She pushed her hair around her head and noticed with embarrassment a tangled knot at the back. She had forgotten to comb her hair. She tried to finger-comb the hair down, with limited success. She was horrified that she was letting her appearance slip. She had vowed never to become one of those mothers, yet there she was sitting in public with uncombed hair. She cringed at herself.

Ethan rolled his eyes and took over helping Abby with her food so that Bo could get back to work. "Too bad you're too lazy to get a job like the rest of us."

"Not true," Charlotte gasped in shock, she gritted her teeth and glared at her brother.

Ethan stifled a laugh at Charlotte's horrified expression. "Whatever you say." He touched Charlotte's shoulder then turned his attention back to his little sister.

XXXX

Lauren was late for Mac's party. Well, not really late, but not early, like she wanted, and she couldn't stand the idea of being late for this party. She rushed up the driveway, balancing her bag and the cake she'd made for the dinner, and didn't notice the person standing next to the door.

She reached the door and caught movement out of the corner of her eye and jumped, the cake slipped, but Dyson held on to it. "You're late," He said with a wide smile.

"Dyson, you startled me." Lauren gasped as she adjusted the cake and her bag. "I'm working on a new project. I lost track of the time."

With a laugh, Dyson opened the door for Lauren. "Some things never change."

"Funny," Lauren walked into the house and glanced around searching for Bo. Dyson stole the cake from Lauren's hand and carried it off.

Bo was at the stove, and she raised her head and winked when she saw Lauren.

"Am I late?" Lauren asked approaching Bo before leaning against the kitchen island, exhausted from her brutal day at work.

"Nope." Bo wiped her hands on a towel and gave Lauren a big grin. "Right on time."

Lauren smiled back and tucked her bag under the island. "I wanted to be here earlier. I want everything to be perfect for this dinner."

Bo leaned over the kitchen island for a kiss. "It will be," Bo assured her, sliding back and resting against the counter.

Lauren glanced around. "Where's Abby?"

"Taking a nap, upstairs."

Lauren nodded, slightly disappointed that she couldn't see Abby, but she didn't want to disturb her sleeping. "The house looks great," She observed after a moment. "Food looks delicious," She added as she circled the kitchen to stand next to Bo.

"No thanks to our grown children." Reaching out, Bo took Lauren's hand and played with her fingers. "Tell me, how was your day?"

"It went as well as expected," Lauren answered, snaking her fingers around Bo's. "Mostly."

Bo's eyebrows rose, a smirk curved on her lips. "Mostly?"

Lauren shrugged, and threw her arms around Bo's waist. "You know science, it's one step forward, one hundred steps backward."

As Bo held the back of Lauren's neck in one hand, she slipped the other down and cupped the curve of Lauren's backside. "Well, I thought you were stepping away from the lab for awhile."

Lauren's expression cracked, and she laughed. "My work alcoholic nature is part of my charm, right?"

Bo nodded with a smirk that immediately made Lauren think about sex. "I guess you could say that," She said, squeezing her fingers against Lauren's backside and burying her head in Lauren's neck.

As Bo planted kisses on her skin, Lauren said. "We do have another mouth to feed after all."

Bo smiled against Lauren's neck and then drew back. "You have plenty of money."

A smile lit Lauren's features. "That's true. But we've added four new family members, and I just want to make sure they never have to worry about anything."

"You're incredible," Bo leaned in to kiss Lauren's cheek. "But I don't want to see you working yourself so hard when you don't need to."

Lauren shrugged. "We have a responsibility with these long lives to do the most we can, help as many people as possible, and give our children and grandchildren the best lives we can."

Bo relished in the sparkle that lit Lauren's eyes as she spoke. Lauren's happiness fueled her, warmed her heart and sustained her. As long as Lauren was happy, Bo was happy.

Bo bent her head, covered Lauren's mouth with hers. The same flutter hit her stomach, as it always did, yet it never failed to astonish her. Bo's desire for Lauren never faded or waned, no matter how long they were together. She still wanted her all the time.

Jasmine settled behind Lauren holding a sly grin. "In a giving mood are we Dr. Lewis?" She asked, and Bo and Lauren broke apart and stared at her, with matching frowns.

"I always had a hunch you were more of a giver than receiver," Jasmine gestured toward Bo. "Especially with Bo Me, Me, Me, Dennis over here."

Lauren turned to face Jasmine and Bo stood behind Lauren, locking her arms around her stomach and resting her chin on Lauren's shoulder. "After all these years you'd think you'd stop hitting on my wife. Take the hint it's never going to happen. She's happily married."

Jasmine winked. "I like to remind you that your wife is a desirable woman, so you don't become complacent in your marriage. See Lauren, I'm a giver as well."

Lauren laughed and exchanged a glance with Bo. Jasmine always goaded Bo, but Lauren always found her harmless, and amusing. She never took her seriously.

Bo rolled her eyes. "What are you doing here? Don't you have somewhere else to be? Like anywhere at all."

"I was invited," Jasmine said, she concentrated on pouring herself a drink.

Bo untangled herself from Lauren and eyed Jasmine with skepticism. "Yeah, by who?"

"Believe it or not plenty of your family members delight in my company…especially your son."

"Huh?" Bo asked, completely confused while she finished lining the roasting pan with vegetables for the dinner.

Jasmine glanced at Bo over her glass, amused. "Don't worry your pretty little head about it."

Bo watched Jasmine walk away and shook her head, deciding to let her taunts go.

Lauren opened the oven door, set in the roasting pans and glanced at Bo. "I think she's just messing with you."

"She needs to find a better pastime," Bo grumbled out.

XXXX

An hour later, the house was packed with family and friends, and it pulsed with laughter and music. Cradle light danced around the table and everyone's faces.

The family situated themselves around the large table, with the little kids at their own table off to the side. Lauren passed the serving bowls around, and everyone loaded up their plates.

Charlotte glared at Lauren across the table. "I'm not going anywhere until you all swear that you will be on your best behavior and not cause me any headaches," She said after Lauren announced a family holiday trip she was planning.

"Breathing gives you a headache." Ethan teased. "Only you would complain about a free trip."

Charlotte gritted her teeth. "I'm not complaining but I'm going through a lot right now, and I don't need more stress. The kind of stress only this family can cause."

Ethan glanced at Jon's empty chair before shifting his eyes back to Charlotte. "Where's Jon," He asked, with suspicion.

Charlotte glared at him but ignored his question. "I just need reassurances that you all won't give me any grief during this trip. Vacations are stressful, especially with this group."

On the other side of the table, Mac turned to Lauren. "Thank you for this opportunity and giving me a job, Lauren," Mac said, politely, while serving herself. "I've always wanted to travel."

Lauren smiled with affection and esteem. "You earned your position. I didn't give you anything. You earned it based on your talents alone. And I'm thrilled to have you on board."

"Are you nervous?" Dyson asked, giving her hand a small squeeze.

"No," Mac answered, honestly.

"Not even a little," Dyson pressed, accepting a plate and piling food onto his plate.

"I'm excited; it's an excellent opportunity to work with different Fae shifters abroad," Mac responded, enthusiastically.

Ethan overheard the conversation and chuckled. "Careful if she knows you like to work, she'll pile it on." Ethan teased, winking quickly in Lauren's direction.

Charlotte scoffed. "Well, I certainly need a vacation," She said, bringing the conversation back to the holiday trip and herself.

Ethan turned to her. "From what? You don't work."

Charlotte's jaw fell open, her eyes widened. "Raising three kids is work! Thank you very much. When are you going to have children by the way?"

Ethan took a swig from his beer and considered her words. He couldn't count the number of times Charlotte had put her nose in his business. "Yeah, I don't really get the whole kids thing."

Charlotte rolled her eyes. "Shut up. You want kids."

Ethan glowered at Charlotte. "You're not even trying to be obnoxious right now, are you?"

Mutely, Charlotte chewed her food and narrowed her eyes at Ethan.

"Well, I work a lot," Ethan answered dismissing her.

Charlotte idly played with her fork, poking at her vegetables. "Yeah, mom seems to be grooming you to take over her empire."

Ethan laughed. "Too bad, she can't step away for more than a few days." He turned to Mac. "Besides, with Mac joining the family business I don't think me taking over is a sure bet anymore."

Mac averted her eyes to her plate, feeling embarrassed. "I don't know about that."

Ethan leaned close to her over the table. "Don't worry, Mac. I don't want it, if you want the empire, it's all yours." He whispered, with a smile.

Mac returned his smile and watched Bo walk back over to the table. "Right now, I'm just excited to get to work and learn as much as I can. Lauren is a great mentor."

Bo took her seat next to Mac, after making plates for the kids. "I don't like the idea of you going alone," She said to Mac. "Makes me nervous."

Lauren frowned in Bo's direction. "It's not dangerous work. I wouldn't send her anywhere dangerous. It's a research assignment."

"I would just feel better knowing she wasn't going alone," Bo said, meeting Lauren's eyes.

"Do you want me to hire a bodyguard?" Lauren asked, sincerely. "It's a small group of researchers she won't be alone."

"Will you miss our vacation?" Charlotte asked Mac, cutting in, bringing the conversation back to the trip, again.

"I'll be there," Mac said to Charlotte, and then turned to Bo. "Don't worry about me, I'll keep you updated during the trip."

Bo nodded and patted her knee. "Thanks, I would appreciate that."

XXXX

In the evening hours, the family sat outside, the triplets sat in a circle digging a large hole. And the adults gathered around the bonfire, talking, drinking, and laughing.

Abby snickered to herself as she wandered up to the boys. She climbed on Lewis' back and giggled. "I want to play," She said, bouncing on his back, and hugging his neck. "Play with me."

"Can't we're digging," Patrick answered, pushing the shovel further into the dirt.

Abby slid off Lewis, she tilted her head and watched them with a curious look. "Why?"

"Dyson said there's treasure buried out here," Bobby answered, pushing the dirt away with his fingers.

Abby's face lit up with interest. "Treasure?"

"That's why we need to dig to find the treasure," Lewis answered, and handed her a small shovel. "It could be anything."

Abby sat on the ground and crossed her legs and began digging along with her nephews.

Mark rushed through the yard with a beer in his hand, darting past the four kids.

"You," Mark snapped, anger flowing through him. He threw himself at Ethan. He smashed his right fist hard into Ethan's face; the blow connected solidly with Ethan's left cheek.

Ethan staggered back and tasted blood filling his mouth. He stared at Mark and flexed his fist. "What the hell, Mark?"

"Jasmine's mine!" Mark shouted, flying at Ethan again. "Stay away from her."

Ethan lunged at Mark, but Jasmine settled between them and pushed them apart. "Boys there's plenty of Jasmine for all. No need to fight."

Ethan spat blood to the grass. "He attacked me. I wasn't fighting."

Jasmine shot him a coy smile. "Don't hide the fact that you were fighting for your girl."

Ethan angrily fixed his shirt and smoothed out his hair. "You're not my girl."

Jasmine scoffed. "Like mother, like son, I suppose."

"Do you see what I was talking about earlier, Ethan?" Charlotte glared at her brother. "This family's insane. I'm taking my children home." She turned quickly to round up the triplets.

Ethan stood still and watched Charlotte's dramatic exit.

Dyson put an arm around Mark and guided him away from Ethan. "Trust me, love triangles aren't worth it," He whispered to Mark as he steered him away.

Bo and Lauren walked up, with identical frowns. Lauren regarded Ethan's bleeding mouth. "What is going on? Who's fighting? And why?"

Ethan straightened and rubbed his chin as he looked at Lauren. "No one," He said, pathetically, averting his gaze to the ground.

Bo considered Jasmine for a moment. "Jasmine, are you causing trouble?"

"No, it was my fault. "Ethan said apologetically, cutting in.

"Maybe you should head home," Lauren suggested to Ethan, wiping a drop of blood from his lip.

"Fine." Ethan said, rushing off with Jasmine following behind him with a cheerful grin.

Bo and Lauren stood alone, and Bo turned to Lauren. "What is happening with this family?"

Lauren laughed and hugged her. Strange and eventful though it could be, Lauren loved her eccentric family. "Same old, same old with our wacky clan."

Bo locked her arms around Lauren's back. "We certainly create our own definition of normal around here."

Lauren looped her arms around Bo's neck and looked deeply into her eyes. "I'm utterly in love with you, you know that?"

Lauren's smile made Bo smile. She pulled her close and kissed her. "As I am with you. Completely." She whispered after pulling back slightly.

XXXX

The family was gone, Abby was bathed, and the toys were picked up and put away. Abby climbed onto the couch waiting for a bedtime story. She eagerly began opening the books.

Lauren ran her fingers through her honey blonde hair, savoring her joyful mood. "You have all these books memorized, don't you?" She asked, and cuddled up next to her.

Abby's dancing gaze slid to Lauren, and she smiled. "It's easy." She rummaged through the pile of books. "This one's funny," She said, opening the book and placing it in front of Lauren.

Lauren squeezed her shoulders. Her life was so busy and demanding at times, and her work took her away from Abby too much. As a result, she threw herself into everything Abby wanted to do with complete enthusiasm. She was all in, for every little thing, every time.

"My good, sweet girl," Lauren said, kissing her cheek before she began to read the first book.

Bo sprawled on the other side of the couch working on her laptop and half listening to the stories.

Lauren rubbed her foot against Bo's foot, relishing the simple, affectionate contact of her wife and the warmth of Abby on her lap.

Outside the house, the weather turned cold, but inside they were warm and cozy, cuddled together.

Abby stared up at Lauren as she read, her eyes large and expressive, showing her enchantment as she absorbed every word Lauren spoke.

After the third story, Lauren stretched out and yawned. "I think it's time for bed."

Abby jumped off Lauren's lap and stood in front of Bo with her hands on her hips. Bo poked her stomach. Abby was very ticklish, and her body folded over as she giggled. She squirmed away from Bo's finger, still laughing. Abby's cheerful expression sent a warm glow of happiness through Bo.

Bo noted fondly, how much Abby had changed in three years, but then, she supposed, they all had.

Abby climbed on Bo's leg, and Bo bounced her up and down. "You heard your mommy it's time for bed, little one."

Abby rubbed her eyes and yawned. "But I'm not tired." She protested.

Bo chuckled and gathered Abby up to carry her to bed after Abby gave Lauren a goodnight kiss and hug.

Bo returned after putting Abby down to sleep. "Out before she hit the pillow," She announced with a bright smile.

Bo tugged Lauren close and whispered into her ear. "Come to bed so that I can feast on every inch of your magnificent body." She said each word slowly and rubbed Lauren's back soothingly.

Each word caressed Lauren's body; warmth shot down her spine. Lauren loved having Bo as her wife for countless reasons. She was beyond sexy, and funny, kind, challenging. When they had sex it was so hot, they seemed to heat up the air around them, even after so many years together. Their complex emotions seemed to match their complex lives, and Lauren loved it. She didn't want easy. She only wanted Bo, and she knew how lucky she was to have her.

Lauren didn't hesitate. She captured Bo's lips. Bo held the back of her neck to keep her in place as she returned her kiss leisurely, setting into a slow buildup.

Feeling intoxicated, Lauren nodded as Bo let her go. She caught the heavy-lidded slope of Bo's eyes as she turned away, and Lauren followed impatiently behind Bo, her body alive with anticipation.

 **XXXXX**

 **AN**

 **My plan was only one bonus chapter, but it got too big, so I decided to do three chapters instead.**

 **Next up, sexy times for BoLo.**

 **Thanks for reading.**


	30. Chapter 30

**AN**

 **Part 2 of 3.**

XXXX

Lauren stood at the foot of the four-poster bed after she lit a few candles. The whole room was lit by a soft, warm glow. The red silk sheets and black canopy glittered in the candlelight.

Lauren moved to the stereo system as Bo strolled into the bedroom. She took a moment to scroll through the songs, looking for something to set the mood. She found the perfect song, turned the volume up slightly, and let the bass beat wash over her. Tonight, she was going to give her wife a night she'd remember.

The hard line of bass pulsed, and a startled Bo glanced over her shoulder and saw Lauren moving away from the stereo.

Licking her lips, Lauren walked toward Bo slowly, her blue jacket sliding down her arms. The white button up shirt beneath it was fitted enough to reveal the curves underneath. Her eyes sparkled in the candlelight as she gazed at Bo.

Bo swallowed hard, "What are you doing?" She asked, drinking in the sight of her wife.

Lauren didn't answer. She stopped and reached for the top button of her shirt. She smiled, a slow, confident smile that warmed Bo and shimmered with sexual tension.

The bass thumped, and Bo stepped closer.

Lauren waved a finger at her. "No, hands off."

Bo's mouth opened, and she licked the curve of her lip. "Oh, come on. That's not fair."

Lauren pushed Bo onto the chair. "Sit there," She whispered into the shell of her ear before she sucked on her earlobe, lightly biting it.

Bo smiled at that, melting into Lauren's touch.

Stepping back, Lauren smirked friskily, and Bo's mind conjured images of what was coming next.

Lauren slid her hands slowly up over her hips and breasts, over the top of the buttons on her shirt. Slowly, eyes locked on Bo, she unfastened each individual button.

"Lauren-" Bo bit off her words, when her throat closed up. The anticipation was almost too much. Her pulse rate picked up, her stomach tightened as she watched Lauren fascinated as she moved, with the music, in front of her.

Lauren twisted her body with sultry confidence, and Bo apparently liked what she was seeing. She gripped the armrest, her eyes wide, taking in every movement. A hungry ache pulsed between Bo's legs.

Lauren slipped the shirt off her body, and it fell to the floor. Left only in a white bra and jeans, she slowly moved her body in smooth, alluring ways as she played with the edge of her pants and straps of her bra.

Bo held her breath and tapped her foot, the warmth in her stomach threatened to become an inferno and overwhelm her. She wanted nothing more than to go over there and put her hands all over Lauren's body.

With a delicate motion, Lauren roamed her hands down her own skin, peeling off her jeans. She was left only in a small bra and underwear, a heat built up in her. She was turning herself on as much as Bo. She trailed her fingers up and down her exposed skin, Bo's gaze spending sparks over her skin.

A slow smile crossed Bo's face, and she tried her best to gather some control. She dug her fingers into her legs. "You better get over here," She said, her voice husky and low.

Lauren smirked and ran her fingers down over her breasts and hips in a slow, casual motion.

Bo's eyes flared up ravenously. "Let me do that," She said, her voice cracking with excitement. She needed to get her hands on Lauren. In an attempt, to gain a little control over her body, she squeezed her eyes closed for a second.

As Bo's eyes popped back open, Lauren's head fell back. She arched her back and stretched her arms above her head. When she brought them back down, she peeled her remaining clothes off. Her breasts were exposed moving liberally as she stepped towards Bo. Her fingers slid back up her sides, and she pinched her nipples, teasing them further, she moved in lazy circles.

Bo stared unabashedly at Lauren's bare body as she moved and touched herself, loving the way her naked body sparkled in the candlelight.

With her eyes locked on Bo, Lauren let her hands travel down over her flat stomach, parting her thighs slightly, she slipped her fingers into herself and sighed softly.

Bo couldn't take it anymore. In a blink, she was up from her chair and moving to Lauren with pure desire. She cupped her hand over Lauren's hand as she moved inside herself. Watching Lauren aroused her so much, she was aching and scorching.

Hearing the soft cries escaping Lauren became too much, Bo pulled Lauren's fingers out and tangled her tongue around it. She moaned and sucked the length of Lauren's slick finger and drank in her familiar taste.

Bo's fingers slid across Lauren's neck and down the space between her breasts. Without a word, she ran her nose along Lauren's shoulder and kissed and licked the sensitive spot on the curve of Lauren's neck.

"Thanks for the show. You're so sexy it drives me crazy." Bo whispered and peppered Lauren's throat with quick kisses. She pulled back, and her eyes traveled from Lauren's head to her toes. "Wow." She gripped Lauren tight, leaned in and licked the curve of her throat, and then gently sucked her flesh, telling her without any more words that she definitely appreciated everything.

Slowly, Lauren tugged on Bo's pants, undoing the fastening. She dragged them and her underwear off. Bo watched Lauren work, and lifted her shirt over her head and tossed it away.

Breathlessly, Lauren swept Bo into her arms, holding her close as she maneuvered them backward.

With a small push, Bo was laying on her back on the bed. A quick flick of Lauren's wrist and Bo's hands were bound to the bed by a thin strap. Bo raised her eyebrows at Lauren and grinned. She knew what Lauren was up to and where this was going. Lauren had used her powers to tie her up.

Lauren weaved her way up her stomach, placing soft kisses up toward her chest. Bo's skin trembled beneath her, which made Lauren hungry for her, and impatient.

Looking at Bo with eyes that spoke of erotic promises, Lauren pressed a hot, deep kiss over lips, and began fanning her nipples with her thumb.

Bo closed her eyes, and her hands gripped the bedpost tight as Lauren yanked her legs apart, and glided down the length of her body.

Opening her knees wider, so she could fit between them Lauren pushed close to Bo. She perched Bo's toned legs over her shoulders, her hands cupped her backside and looked up at Bo.

Bo stared down at her, her expression softened, and she raised her hips up. She held her breath and desire raced through her, as Lauren trailed kisses on her inner thigh.

After a few more wet kisses, Lauren pushed in, plunging her tongue into Bo's soft folds and twisted her face to get into position. She licked her from center to tip and back again, each firm stroke followed by a gentle one.

As Lauren let out an unyielding barrage on her senses, Bo writhed against Lauren's face, as her eyes screwed shut and she bit down on her bottom lip.

Lauren spread her with her thumbs, thrusting her tongue deep into her channel. Bo's arms twisted as she strained against the straps. She wanted to touch Lauren so badly, but she was also enjoying Lauren's control over her.

Bo's head tipped back, she arched forward and moaned when Lauren licked upwards and flicked her with the tip of her tongue.

"Don't stop," Bo murmured, hooking her legs around her back to hold her in place, shivering with each stroke and circle. "Please, don't stop." Satisfaction vibrated through every inch of her body, her senses screamed with the overload of sensations.

Bo's lips parted, she moaned and couldn't stop, overwhelmed by the build up of her impending orgasm. Lauren gripped her hips, fingertips digging into her sensitive flesh. With another long, broad stroke, she clenched around Lauren's tongue, her entire body trembling and prickling with her release.

Out of breath and sated, Bo collapsed back onto the bed as Lauren released the ties. Hazily, Bo felt Lauren straddle her hips, rubbing slowly against her. She sat up on her elbows, staring at Lauren with eyes that still held so much desire. Driven by Lauren's movements, her fingers ghosted over Lauren's backside, coaxing her forward. She licked her lips at the sight of Lauren's flushed, sweaty body above her.

Lauren put it off a moment, to settle her worked up body, before she moved into position, hovering herself above Bo's face. Her hands gripped the bedpost when Bo teased her, her breath tickling her center, luring her to lower herself onto her face.

"Lauren," Bo prompted, breathless, and Lauren lowered her hips closer to Bo, her tongue lightly brushed against her. She drew out her movements, making them long and slow.

Lauren breathed hard against the headboard as Bo thrust her tongue into her slick core and swirled her tongue around her clit. Her legs quivered against Bo's face, and she shifted her hips up, out of Bo's reach. She was too quickly approaching her release, and she wanted it to last longer. She stared down into Bo's eyes, struggling to hold back from her eager tongue.

Bo licked her inner thigh and sucked her skin gently. Her hands swept across Lauren's legs and settled on her backside. "Come on, Lauren." She groaned out her plea.

Lauren's body twitched in anticipation, and she buried her fingers into Bo's hair as she settled back onto Bo's face. Bo thrust and swirled her tongue inside, and Lauren bit her lip to keep from crying out with sheer pleasure.

In a fog of passion, Lauren rocked herself back and forth against Bo. She reached down and stroked Bo's cheek, holding her gaze, and focusing on the rotation of her hips.

A flutter of tingles sweep through her and her stomach grew tight and warm as Bo grazed her tongue over her clit. Eventually, too soon, she bucked against Bo as the hot flame of her climax spread through her.

Lauren smiled, satisfied, as she breathed hard and fast. With her body still humming, she slumped onto the bed next to Bo.

Wrapping her arms around Lauren, Bo sighed as she snuggled up close behind her. "I love you," She purred into Lauren's ear.

Reaching back, Lauren palmed Bo's backside, feeling more relaxed than ever. "I love you, too."

XXXX

The next morning, Bo leaned against the kitchen counter with her tongue between her teeth reading over a recipe. She wanted to make Lauren a special dinner and was looking for something new to make. Lauren had offered to hire a chef for the family, but over the years Bo had come to enjoy cooking, so she declined the offer. Lauren might be able to pay for anything she wanted in the world. But Bo loved giving her family a meal cooked with her own hands. But she had happily agreed when Lauren hired a cleaning service to clean the house.

Her fingers drummed beside her as her eyes scanned over the tablet. She caught a flash of movement and a Cheerio landed by her hand followed by a small giggle behind her.

Bo peeked at Abby out of the corner of her eye. She squirmed merrily in her highchair and played with her cereal.

Bo glanced down at the tablet, and a second later, another Cheerio hit her on the back of her head and a snort of laughter escaped Abby.

Slowly, Bo spun around, crossed her arms and squinted her eyes at Abby. "What are you doing?" She asked, making a show of staring her pint-sized opponent down.

Bo couldn't help but smile proud when Abby blinked innocently at her and stuffed a handful of cereal into her mouth. She smiled at Bo, with food in her teeth.

Bo feigned a serious expression. "I'm watching you," She said, pointing a finger at her and Abby cupped her mouth and laughed into her hand. That giggle brought another smile to Bo's lips. She loved her tiny little marvel to pieces.

Leisurely, Bo moved to the refrigerator just as another Cheerio hit her cheek. As she turned to look at Abby, Abby took her doll and pretended to feed her the cereal.

"That's it," Bo marched over to Abby with a big grin.

Abby covered her face with her doll and Bo scooped her up, raised her above her head, and blew kisses on her stomach.

Abby howled with laughter and squirmed in her arms, as Bo tickled her sides with her teeth.

At the same time, Lauren walked into the kitchen and glanced at the pair, entertained by their playing. "I missed the fun."

Bo kissed Abby's cheek and placed her on the ground. With quick little steps, Abby hurried over and hid behind Lauren, still laughing while she hugged Lauren's leg.

"You're welcome to join our food fight," Bo said, with a playful grin and raised eyebrows.

Lauren gathered Abby up in her arms and patted her bottom gently, smiling at Bo. "Maybe next time."

"Do you know what?" Abby asked, playing with Lauren's hair, beaming as she looked at the side of Lauren's face.

"What?" Lauren asked, turning her attention to Abby while Bo walked over to them.

Abby glanced at the glass doors, looking at the backyard. "I wanna play outside. Please, Please, Pleeease."

Lauren smiled at her, amused by the slim w-lisp she could still hear coiled into Abby's use of the word please.

"After breakfast." Bo promised and bent her head and kissed Lauren, softly and quick because Abby was nestled between them.

"Okay, momma," Abby said, quietly and pushed out her bottom lip as stared at her moms.

"I see a bit of Charlotte in you," Bo teased, kissing Abby's cheek.

Lauren smiled at Bo over Abby's head, and her phone buzzed in her jacket. She checked it, scanning her eyes over the message.

After Lauren put Abby back into her highchair, she leaned back against the table and typed out a quick reply.

Bo stood in front of her and walked her fingers slowly across the exposed skin of her chest. "Work?" She asked. Her fingers slid over, and she played with the collar of Lauren's shirt.

"No, it was about our trip," Lauren answered just as her phone buzzed again, and they both smiled.

They made a mutual decision that Lauren would not take any work calls in the morning or during and after dinner. With that in mind, Bo said to Lauren. "You know we made a deal about no phone calls before 9 am."

Lauren bit her lip and checked the display. This time, it was Ethan. She showed Bo the screen. "It's our son." She declined the call and made a mental note to call him back on the drive into work. If it were important, he would leave a message, after all.

"Outside," Abby sang out, bouncing her doll up and down. "Mommy, outside."

Bo grabbed the box of cereal. "How weird was his fight with Mark?" She asked, pouring Cheerios into a bowl in front of Abby, replacing the ones she'd tossed around the kitchen.

Lauren smiled at Abby as she did a happy wiggle in her seat and chewed on her cereal. "I hope they work it out before our vacation," She said to Bo, gently stroking Abby's hair.

"I'm sure they will. Or we'll just leave them here, and the three of us can go on vacation." Bo gestured her hand in a circle.

Lauren put her phone away and loaded her workbag. "I was hoping the whole family could go…and get along. It's been a while since we've gone on a nice vacation with everyone."

"We all need a break," Bo said, bobbing her head up and down in agreement.

"Yes, it's true." Lauren's phone buzzed again. Without glancing at the screen, she thumbed the decline button.

"You deserve a break more than anybody. You're so driven, and you have a hard time disconnecting from work." Bo paused and beamed at her. "Sometimes," She added with a wink.

"I'm doing better." Lauren said and scrolled through her schedule on her phone. "I've been delegating a lot more, and I'll be home early tonight."

Bo rested her hands on Lauren's hips, and Lauren pulled a Cheerio out of Bo's hair and smiled. "But you have a point. I'm glad I have you in my corner to pull me back." Lauren said, and closed her eyes, leaning against Bo's cheek.

"Done!" Abby announced, happily, holding up her empty bowl. "See, all done, mommies."

With that, Lauren kissed Bo and Abby and left for work, and Bo, as promised, took Abby outside to play.

XXXX

In the evening hours, Lauren leaned against the frame of the patio doors that led off the kitchen onto the deck of the backyard. A gust of cold wind danced over her body, and she wrapped her cashmere sweater around her body, tight. As she sipped her coffee, she could hear the dull murmur of the wind through the trees. It was relaxing, and peaceful after a day full of stress.

"It's getting cold," Bo whispered, folding her arms around Lauren's waist from behind. "Come to bed and I'll warm you up."

Another breeze found its way through the door, snaking around their bodies. Lauren shivered and nestled into Bo's body. "Feels like we'll get our first snow soon." She swiveled her eyes to glance at Bo. "Do you think we're boring now? With all our kids and grandchildren?"

"No," Bo laughed in Lauren's ear. Tilting her head over her shoulder, Bo pressed her lips against Lauren's exposed, long, smooth neck. "No, I don't believe we are."

Bo rested her cheek on her shoulder, and they stood in silence a moment, watching as snow drifted from the dark sky. Huge flakes spattered against the trees and grass, and they snuggled up together.

Long, soft fingers curled under Lauren's shirt, brushing against her stomach. Bo's touch began to cloud her senses, relaxing and arousing her at the same time. She kissed Bo over her shoulder.

The dark, nutty flavor of Lauren's coffee lingered on her tongue. Sighing in pleasure, Bo kissed Lauren back eagerly. The warmth of Lauren's body was already overwhelming her.

Grabbing Lauren by the waist, Bo pulled her into the kitchen, kicking the door closed with her foot. Lauren's coffee spilled from her cup as she tossed it onto the table, but neither noticed.

Bo eased the soft, sweater up and Lauren lifted her arms so she could lift it over her head. Lauren's smiling face emerged from underneath the sweater. With disheveled hair and hooded eyes, she met Bo's gaze. Her eyes spoke of desire and want, of need. She dropped her gaze to Bo's breasts and trailed her fingers down Bo's exposed cleavage.

Bo hooked her arm around Lauren's waist and pushed her back on the kitchen table. Her blonde hair spilled out over the table and Bo kissed her. The force of the kiss blindsided Lauren, and she completely forgot about everything and the background slipped away. The whole of her consciousness focused on the way Bo's tongue slid against hers. The tight, possessive hold Bo had on her hips, ignited the heat and desire inside her.

Bo slid her hand under Lauren's tank top, massaging her nipples with her fingers. She slipped her knee between Lauren's spread legs, pushing hard against her.

Anticipation and exhilaration boiled up in Lauren's stomach, and she couldn't help the moan that escaped her lips. She wasn't ashamed to admit, after a long day at work, sometimes, it felt good to just relax and let Bo take her, to dominate her.

"Oh geez, you two are like teenagers!" Charlotte gasped out after bursting into the house. "What if Abby wandered down here?" She asked, shaking the snow off her hair.

Laughing, Bo and Lauren broke apart, and Lauren pulled her shirt down. "What's wrong," she asked, bracing against the table, her face flushed and her heart still racing.

Bo and Lauren stared at Charlotte in shocked silence as she broke down and cried in front of them.

Charlotte threw her arms around Bo. "My life is falling apart," She sobbed into Bo's hair. "I need to stay here for a few days."

Bo patted her back, utterly confused. "What happened?"

Charlotte pushed back from Bo and flipped her hair. "Not everyone has what you two have." She shot back before huffing and scurrying off to the living room.

Lauren sighed as she fixed her hair. "I'll get the guest house ready for her."

Bo nodded as Lauren moved off the table. "See it's never boring around here."

Laughing, Lauren grabbed the keys and then gave Bo a quick peck. "You better go talk to her."

"I'm sure it's just Charlotte being Charlotte. We've defeated how many threats? We can cope with Charlotte's latest crisis, I think."

"You're always so confident." Lauren teased, tugging her jacket on before slipping her shoes on.

"And I'll continue to be so."

"Well, that's one of the things I love best about you."

They stared at each other, for a long moment, something deeper than happiness past between them. Contentment, perhaps, along with a stream of love and understanding that was unique to them as a couple.

"Mom!" Charlotte yelled from the other room, pulling them back to the present.

"Good luck with your talk," Lauren said, walking out the back door.

Bo poured two glasses of wine, before heading to the living room to talk with her daughter.

XXXXX

Bo handed Charlotte a glass and sat next to her. Charlotte seemed a little moodier than usual, so Bo decided to wait for her to start the conversation.

Charlotte flung herself back on the couch in exasperation and stared at the ceiling with tears in her eyes. "We're too different. Jon and I."

Bo took her time sipping her drink, trying to phrase her response carefully. "You love each other," She said, simply.

Annoyed, Charlotte snorted and glared at her mother. "Do you know how lucky you are to have mom?"

A thoughtful frown dimmed Bo's face. "Of course, I do, but what are you referring to?"

"It's just lately…Jon gets so jealous when I feed off others. It never bothered him before." Charlotte said crossly and gulped down her wine. "He's changed so much. I don't understand."

Studying Charlotte carefully, Bo replied cautiously. "It's not easy, balancing love and your succubus needs, but there is a way."

"Only when you're married to Saint Lauren."

Bo smiled, stretching forward to put her glass down. "Communication is crucial, it's important to hear and be understanding to your partner if…"

"Of course, you'd think it's my fault." Charlotte cut in but finally gave up her irritated posture and her shoulders slumped.

Bo felt a touch of annoyance at that, but soothingly said, "I didn't say it was your fault."

Charlotte gave a slightly defeated sigh, her voice growing tight as tears welled up in her eyes. "He married a succubus, what did he think that meant?"

"Have you two established any rules? That helped your mother and I. Clear boundaries are essential."

Charlotte rolled her eyes at her mother. She could tell Bo was missing the point entirely. "I wish you would take my side, just once." She barked, angrily gripping her glass.

Bo threw her hands up giving a patient look. "I am on your side. I'm just trying to understand." She hesitated, and asked carefully. "Where are the boys?"

Charlotte stared at Bo, her brown eyes flashed with hurt, and Bo felt terrible for her. "I'm not abandoning my children, mother. I'll get them tomorrow. They were sleeping." She said to Bo, in a tone that revealed her hurt and anger. "Jon's transformed into a jealous jerk, and I couldn't be in that house one more second."

"Love for a succubus is complicated and if Jon's not willing to accept you for who you are then maybe he's not the right partner for you. Never feel ashamed of who are you and never let anyone make you feel ashamed."

Charlotte swallowed hard and offered Bo a sad, weary smile. "I thought I had found an understanding partner."

Reaching over, Bo stroked Charlotte's hair, keeping her attention locked on her daughter as she cried and drank from her glass. Regardless of how dramatic Charlotte could be, at times, Bo could feel her genuine heartache. She wanted nothing more than to take Charlotte's pain away but she realized all she could do, at that moment, was listen and comfort her. And so she did.

XXXX

"Is everything okay?" Lauren asked, after returning from the guesthouse. She stripped her sweater off over her head and watched Bo as she stepped out of her jeans. Charlotte didn't tell her what happened, and she had no idea what was going on.

"You're the most incredible woman in the world," Bo said, approaching Lauren. Bo took her hand, linked their fingers, and led her to the bed. She smiled as she sat on the edge of the bed with Lauren standing in between her legs.

With a wide smile, Lauren leaned into Bo. She looped her arms around Bo's neck, taking in the way she was looking at her and how beautiful she was. "Wow, thank you, but…"

Bo moved in and kissed her mouth softly. "Sometimes, I forget how lucky I am to have you."

Lauren searched Bo's face and climbed onto her lap, straddling her hips.

Bo wrapped her arms around Lauren's back and said. "I'm serious. You are incredible. I don't know what I've done to deserve you." A small smile crept over her mouth. "And I never find you boring."

Lauren laughed, but quickly she sobered and stared at Bo with a straight face. "I know, I was joking earlier."

"What we have is special, I don't want to ever forget it." Bo whispered and pressed a kiss to Lauren's chest, breathing in the scent of soap on her skin.

"Bo…" Lauren started, but Bo silenced her with another kiss.

Bo pulled back from the kiss before it turned too heated. She had more to say and didn't want them to get carried away just yet. She met Lauren's eyes. "When I think about how empty my life could be without you… How empty it was without you…well, I'm grateful that you're my partner, my lover, my other half. You are a uniquely special person, Dr. Lewis."

Lauren cupped Bo's cheek and looked deep into her intense brown eyes. They were so honest, and she could see so much affection in their depths that her stomach flipped. "I feel the same way about you."

"Succubi are selfish by nature."

"You're not."

"Only because I have you."

Lauren's eyebrows drew together as she looked at Bo sympathetically. "That's not true. What's this about?" She asked, concerned about what had prompted these declarations from Bo.

"I love you. That's all. I want you to know how much I value you and our relationship. How important your love is to me."

Lauren studied Bo's face, with a wealth of warmth in her eyes. "I know how you feel about me, and I feel the same about you. I have no doubts about us."

Bo nodded and looked up at Lauren, her gaze serious. "I just wanted to tell you how much you mean to me and that I know our relationship isn't easy. You've sacrificed a lot for us…for me."

Lauren's mouth hardened, and then her expression softened, "I don't want an easy relationship. And loving you is the easiest thing I've ever done. It's not hard to love you."

"Another reason you're amazing." Bo brushed the strap of Lauren's white tank top aside, and kissed her shoulder. "Come to bed." Her voice deepened as she gripped Lauren's back and pulled her down on top of her.

 **XXXX**

 **AN**

 **Last chapter: Family vacation craziness.**

 **Re Jasmine: I like to keep her mysterious that's why I haven't revealed what type of Fae she is.**

 **Re Bo's feeding: my interpretation of canon is that Bo will always have to feed off others, whether or not she's with a human or a Fae.**

 **Thanks for reading and reviewing!**


	31. Chapter 31

Boisterous laughter floated through the open door of his mother's beach house as Ethan stomped up. He swept his sunglasses off his face, hoisted his backpack and walked into the house.

The triplets rushed by, surrounding him with loud hollering and hooting as they played tag around the house. He dodged out of the way, stumbled back, and Abby bumped into his leg. She was trying to keep up with her nephews, running on her short legs as fast as she could, but she was lagging behind.

"Sorry, Eth," She said, looking up at him a smile. She wore a red and green reindeer headband, and her cheeks were pink from running.

Ethan smiled back and playfully flipped one of the antlers on her head. At the same time, Abby cut her eyes back to the boys as they rounded a corner. She gave a short snicker and shuffled off in that direction.

Ethan watched her little body waddle away holding his grin. He groaned, a second later, when he heard Charlotte from the other room, reprimanding the boys. He tossed his bag aside, shoved his hands into his pocket and hunched his shoulders. Waiting patiently for the distraught Charlotte he knew he was about to face.

Marching into the room, Charlotte's eyes burned into him. "You're late." She chastised, crossly.

He rolled his shoulders and met her gaze slowly. "Well, I'm here now."

"So you are. Jasmine's here." She slanted a glance to her left, in Jasmine's direction.

The corners of Ethan's mouth twitched, and battled into a smirk. "Why would I care? Jasmine's always around."

Charlotte stared at him, with daggers drawn. "Is that why you were late, avoiding Jasmine and Mark?" She patted his shoulder, patronizingly. "Remember don't curse them, if things end poorly." Her tone was expressly curt.

Ethan huffed out a breath as her words cut into him. Charlotte always seemed to bring up the curse. Even though it was now broken, she still gave him a hard time about it. "No, I have responsibilities at work. Not everyone can just take a week vacation." He said, not commenting on the curse jab.

Charlotte gave an exaggerated eye-roll-sigh combination. "Are you implying something about me with that statement?"

Ethan made a tiny hum of amusement and said. "That you're allergic to real work, yes."

Her eyes bugged out, and she just stared at him for a long moment. "You're a pain in the ass." She scowled and whipped around to look for the triplets. "Thankfully, that's not a genetic trait."

Ethan shook his head, jerked his jacket off, and tossed it on the nearby chair. "Boy, Charlie, you lack even slightly shred of self-awareness, don't you?"

She glanced over her shoulder at him. "You're a complete butthead." She poked her tongue out and turned back away.

Ethan laughed out loud at the silly insult and slipped a hand on her shoulder. How many times had he forfeited his own feelings at the throne of Charlotte and her dramatics? Too many times to count, really. She was doing her typical Charlotte over-reaction. But more than likely her attitude had nothing to do with him.

He knew she was hurting over her marriage, so he said. "I'm sorry I was late. I know you're going through a lot."

Her temper fading, Charlotte turned back to face him. "I'm all right."

"Is he here?" He asked, sweeping his eyes around the house.

"No. And I don't care." Color crept into Charlotte's face betraying her feelings.

"I'm sorry," Ethan hauled her into a tight bear hug and kissed her forehead. "I love you. You're an obnoxious drama queen. But you're my sister, and I'm here for you."

Charlotte hugged him back and burst into tears. "I'm not crying about Jon, just so you know." She sniffed and wiped a hand across her cheeks.

Ethan lightly patted her back, still holding her. "I know," He said, even though he knew she actually was crying about him.

Charlotte eased out of the hug and composed herself. "Thanks."

Ethan dipped his head in acknowledgment. "Where are our moms?" He asked, giving Charlotte an out from the Jon discussion.

Sparing a quick glance around the room, Charlotte scoffed. "Where do you think?"

Ethan pinched his lips, just as someone brushed against his shoulder, he glanced back, to find a grinning Jasmine.

"You look like you could use a drink." Jasmine purred into his ear.

Ethan spun around to face Jasmine. "It's ten in the morning."

Jasmine held up her glass. "Leave those rules at home, you're on vacation. Get into the holiday spirit."

Ethan frowned, looking scandalized. "I haven't even had my breakfast."

Charlotte's expression hardened into a stone mask. "Whatever is going on here is not right. As a matter of fact, it's gross."

Jasmine waved her fingers up and down at Charlotte. "You need to lighten up. We Fae live a long time. It's good to let things go and enjoy life. Things can get boring real fast if you don't."

Charlotte fisted a quick hand on her hip. "I'm fun." She didn't bother to hide the outrage in her voice.

Ethan glanced at Charlotte and managed to hold down the laugh that bubbled up in him.

Around the corner, the triplets readied their high-powered water guns. Moving as a swat team, they inched closer to their mother. They raised the barrels and pointed it at Charlotte. Together, they pulled the trigger, and an arc of water shot through the air until it reached the target.

Charlotte whipped around; water soaked her clothes and hair, and she glared at them. "Not in the house," She shouted, pointing a finger at the door. "Outside!"

They laughed and blasted her again.

She hollered out, and hands rose to her face in defense. "Boys!" She shrieked and wiped water off her face as stormed after them. "Outside, now."

They cackled and ran away from her.

XXXXX

"I don't want to go downstairs, yet," Bo murmured against Lauren's skin, kissing her throat. "I want to stay up here a while longer." She lifted Lauren's dress up, stroking her thigh, letting her fingers follow the path of her leg.

Lauren could hear the smile in Bo's voice, and she smiled back. "It's a family vacation," She said, gasping from trying to suppress her giggles as Bo teased her inner thigh with her fingertips.

"Let's make some time for us," Bo whispered, easing Lauren back against the door. Thumbing the edge of Lauren's underwear, Bo licked Lauren's bottom lip and kissed her hungrily. No matter how many times they kissed, made love, or coupled wildly, Bo never grew tired of the sensations Lauren gave her. She yearned for her now as much as ever.

After a few drawn-out kisses, Lauren wiggled away from Bo. "Just look at where we are…" She gestured to the large window, bright light spilled into the room. "Beautiful sunshine, beach…"

"Beautiful wife, naked in my bed…" Bo countered with a smirk, gripping her waist and peppering kisses on her cheek and neck. Finally, she found Lauren's mouth, and she kissed her eagerly.

When they broke the kiss, Lauren watched as Bo walked over and drew the drapes closed. The room transformed from brightly lit to shadows. Lauren gave Bo a gentle, beaming smile, and asked, "What are you doing?"

"I'm aiming to get you naked in like two seconds. I didn't think you'd want an audience." Bo wiggled her eyebrows as she strode back to Lauren.

Lauren's thoughts drifted elsewhere as she considered Bo. She folded her arms and said. "I was thinking…well, I wanted to talk you about giving Ethan and Charlotte some money."

Bo halted her steps, at the abrupt shift in the conversation, all sexy thoughts shoved aside. After a moment to think it over, she replied curiously, "Really? I thought we agreed they should work for their money. They are adults."

Lauren glanced down and shuffled her bare feet on the carpet. "I know, but…."

"How much are we talking about here?" Bo's eyebrows shot up, questioningly. She was caught off guard by this discussion.

"Well," Lauren bent over to search through her bag, pulled out a piece of paper and handed it to Bo.

Bo's jaw sagged, and she gaped at the paper. "That's a lot of zeroes."

Lauren's lips pressed together in a tight line, then relaxed. "You think I spoil them."

"No…" Bo said instantly and then switched her eyes down to the enormous number again. "I mean…I understand the impulse they're your children." She looked at Lauren again from under lowered brows.

At Bo's probing gaze, Lauren responded, "We have so much, I just want to share it with our kids. Give them the opportunity to start building their futures as independent adults."

Bo looked down, biding her time. "And you think handing them money will do that?" She asked hesitantly and held up the paper.

Lauren narrowed her eyes on Bo and said nothing. Her expression was resolute, and her gaze never left Bo.

Abruptly, Bo grew aware of the beginnings of an argument. She smiled and pulled Lauren closer. "You know we're so good together. Even our squabbles are fun."

Amusement flashed in Lauren's eyes, and she leaned into Bo's body. "I would prefer if we could agree. It's an important decision."

Bo tilted her head and studied her wife's face. Her eyes lingered on the faint lines around Lauren's eyes, which might have been caused by smiling or worrying too much in the past. That made her wonder how much time Lauren spend silently fretting about the twins. Probably more than she would ever admit. "It's your money, but what about teaching a fish to swim or however it goes…"

Lauren grinned and twitched her eyebrows. "Yeah, something like that. But it's our money, and they're our children. I have spent a lot of time thinking about this, Bo."

"Okay, but I don't believe it would do them any good to be given that kind of money," Bo confessed in a rush. "It's a lot."

Lauren exhaled a breath. "Logically, I understand that but I'm fearful about Charlotte's future on her own. I don't know what's happening with her and Jon, but financial security shouldn't be part of her decision. Also, Ethan isn't happy working for me. I know that."

That explained Lauren's thought process. Bo could understand it. A slow smile touched Bo's lips, and she gave in. "Okay. I think we'll just have to trust them to be responsible with the money."

Lauren's expression lit up, her entire face covered in brightness. "Great. I think we can trust them, I do."

Bo bit her bottom lip, and stroked her thumb over Lauren's bottom lip, and her mouth parted. "Now, where were we?"

Lauren gathered Bo up in her arms, hugging her tight. "You were going to get me naked, I believe."

"Oh yeah," Bo chuckled, slowly lowering onto the bed. With a tug, she pulled Lauren on top of her and kissed her. In the middle of the kiss, she rolled her over, reversing their positions, so that Lauren was on her back and Bo towered over her.

Lauren was so focused on Bo's purposeful face that she hardly noticed the downward path of her hand. Bo nestled closer to her, greedy ran her fingers over Lauren's inner thigh, while she slanted her mouth over hers and caressed her lower lip with her tongue.

Eagerly, Lauren surrendered to the pleasure of Bo's caresses and warmth. Bo weaved herself down Lauren's body. Lauren's skin scorched as Bo drew her dress up, stopping to press a wet, lingering kiss below her belly button.

Settling against the mattress, Lauren murmured in gratification, threading her fingers through Bo's hair. "You have twenty minutes," She whispered, anticipation surged through her veins, burning away all other thoughts.

Bo slid aside the strap of her black lace underwear and kissed her hip. "Sure, dear. Whatever you say."

Those were the last words they spoke, before their lovemaking turned hard, hot, demanding, and as it turned out Lauren gave her 60 minutes.

XXXXX

"Time for presents?" Abby asked, keeping a cheery smile on her face, staring at the multicolored lights shimmering on the Christmas tree.

"Nah, couple more days," Patrick answered, chewing a piece of sausage. "Little kids are so impatient."

Abby jumped up and down, hugging the box. "I'm so excited." She exclaimed, and then sat on her knees on the floor and started organizing the stacks of colorfully wrapped presents by name and size.

Charlotte, seated in an armchair by the tree, glared at Bo and Lauren as they walked into the room. "Where have you two been?"

Bo and Lauren exchanged a glance and smirk.

"Ugh," Charlotte shoved herself out of the chair. "Of course, I don't know why I asked." She rolled her eyes and marched past them, taking Patrick with her.

Jasmine looked Lauren up and down and cleared her throat when she saw a not so subtle purple bruise under Lauren's jaw. "Naughty, naughty." She pursed her lips together and pointed at the spot.

Lauren flipped her gaze to Bo and covered her neck. "Bo." Her voice was raised to a high level, and her eyes widened.

Bo answered with a cheeky grin and then rested her arm on Lauren's shoulder. "Sorry," She whispered into her ear, but she didn't sound apologetic at all. "I got carried away." She kissed her cheek and added a quick pat to Lauren's backside.

Cocking a hip, Jasmine sipped from her glass, staring at Lauren. "All I want for Christmas…" She sang the words, with a sly glint in her eye.

Quickly, Bo held up a finger, her mouth tightened into a crisp line. "Don't finish that."

Jasmine cracked a grin, swiveling her eyes back and forth between them. "Oh, I always finish, doll." She waggled a finger between them. "Take note, you two."

It took Bo a couple of beats to decipher that, then her brain caught up and she angled her head back, and sighed at the ceiling. "You really need some new material. I should have seen that coming."

Jasmine opened her mouth to give a saucy retort, but Lauren shook her head at her, and she closed it.

"I'll let that one go." Jasmine said and brushed past them. "This time," She added to Lauren before walking away.

Bo snorted, watching Jasmine saunter off. "Why do we continue to invite her to things?"

Lauren wrapped her arms around Bo's neck. "She's harmless."

Bo conceded the point and nodded. "It's just hard to ignore her. She's so annoying."

From across the room, Abby spotted her moms. She sprang to her feet and ran up to them. She flung her arms around Lauren's leg, smiling up at her. The colorful reindeer headband, she wore, bounced back and forth when her head moved. "Is it time for cookies?"

At the same time, Lewis and Bobby barreled into the room, shouting, "Yeah, cookies!"

Lauren turned her gaze away from Abby and focused on the boys. "It's too early for sweets," She said, and then offered a suggestion. "Why don't we go out on the boat instead?"

The boys looked disappointed, for a moment, before they zipped away, off to find more mischief.

Lauren glanced at Bo and shrugged. "I guess that's a yes?"

Abby tugged at Lauren's shirt, and she bent down. She threw her chubby toddler arms around Lauren's neck, and whispered in her ear, "Mommy, I like boats."

"Perfect," Lauren placed her hand on Abby's back. "And when we get back you can help me decorate the cookies for later."

Abby nodded excitedly, and her attention moved to the kitchen when she heard loud squeals from the boys. "Okay," She said, she whipped around and ran off to join in on the excitement.

XXXX

Jasmine flopped onto the couch, with a fresh drink in hand. "Just watching those kids exhausts me. All they do is run around."

Ethan couldn't stop the snort of humor from escaping. "Where's your holiday spirit?"

Jasmine swirled the scotch in her glass. "In my glass and my bedroom, honeybun." She raised her drink and sipped.

Ethan took a seat next to her. "Do you ever want this…a family, children?"

"No," Jasmine crossed her legs and leaned forward. "Children are cute and all but only when they belong to someone else. I like the fun parts, not the work." She eased back. "Just like in all my relationships."

Ethan nodded, he also didn't want children, but lately, he was starting to want a partner to share his life with, not Jasmine, he knew that was only for fun, but he did want to find someone to love.

Jasmine squeezed his knee and offered him a smile. "You're a great man, Ethan, but I hope you haven't fallen in love with me. I don't do that love thing either."

He gave her a squint-eyed look of confusion. "Definitely not."

She placed a hand on her chest and let out a relieved sigh. "You had me worried for a second."

"What about you and Mark? Is that going anywhere?" He asked, absently rubbing his chin where Mark had punched him.

"No, no, no." Jasmine glided to her feet and strode away. "No," She called out, one last time.

Ethan chuckled but stopped when his moms suddenly stood in front of him.

"We need to talk," Lauren said, at his quizzical look, and added. "To you and Charlotte." Bo and Lauren sat on one side of the couch, and Ethan on the other.

Seconds later, Charlotte ambled up to them and sat next to Ethan.

Two sets of matching, curious brown eyes stared at Lauren.

Then, Charlotte rolled her eyes and threw up her hands. "You're not pregnant again are you?"

Shaking her head, Lauren gave Bo a sideways glance. The glint in her eyes and smirk made Lauren roll her eyes. They had agreed to wait a few years before discussing the possibly of having more children, but occasionally Bo would hint or joke about it.

Bo teasingly pinched Lauren's side. "No, it's not that," She said to the twins.

Lauren handed them each a white envelope as Abby wandered back into the room and climbed onto Bo's lap. Bo rested her chin on Abby's head and turned to Lauren.

"What's this," Charlotte asked, turning it over in her hand.

"A gift," Lauren answered, darting her eyes to both Charlotte and Ethan.

In unison, the twins ripped the envelope and gawked at the paper inside.

Silence ricocheted around them until Charlotte spoke up. "Is this for real?" She asked, staring at Bo, Ethan on her right watched Lauren, his eyebrows raised in surprise.

Lauren's gaze skipped between her children. "Yes, it's your money. Save it, invest it, use it to build something of your own. It's up to you. Ultimately, we just want you to be happy."

Bo wrapped one arm around Abby and squeezed Lauren's knee with the other. "We want you to find your place in the world. Grab it and be happy."

Charlotte blinked slowly at the paper. "I'm speechless." She sputtered, tears sparkling in her eyes.

Ethan's eyes switched from Lauren to his sister. "Literally, that's the first time that has ever happened." He quipped, with a mega-watt smile.

Charlotte picked up a decorative pillow and smacked it into his face. He fell back, laughing, and tossed the pillow back at her.

For a moment, no one spoke. Abby got bored and slipped off Bo's lap to play on the floor by her feet.

Head down, Charlotte took a few moments to compose her thoughts, then looked over at her moms. "I don't know what to say," She whispered, she searched her moms' faces, stunned, humbled, by their generosity and unconditional love. "Thank you for this gift. I love you both, so much." She cleared her throat. "And I'm sorry I'm such a pain to deal with."

They both smiled, and Lauren took her hand. "You're not a pain, Charlotte. We wanted to give you the opportunity to have the life you want. Money doesn't create happiness, of course, but what it can give you is the chance to do some good in the world, to take care of those you love."

"What she's saying is don't spend it all on shoes." Ethan teased, he tossed her a mischievous grin.

Charlotte nudged her back into her brother's body, pushing him back into the couch.

Lauren turned to her son. "And Ethan you're fired."

Ethan's jaw opened, staring at her with disbelieving eyes. He didn't say a word.

Bo and Lauren exchanged a quick glance, and then Lauren spoke. "I know you're not happy working for me. Take this money and do what you want."

Ethan rubbed the back of his neck and hesitated a split second. "I…"

"Don't argue with your mother." Bo cut in with a smile.

Ethan stared at the paper and nodded. Because she was right. He did want to break away and do something new and by giving him this gift, his mom had made the decision easier for him.

The twins exchanged a smile and look, and scrambled to their feet. They rushed forward and hauled their moms into a hug. "We love you, thank you," They said, simultaneously.

Bo and Lauren hugged their kids back, too choked up, at that moment, to respond.

XXXX

An hour later, the whole family rolled out of the house, had lunch on the sundeck, and then spent the rest of the day playing on the beach, taking the boat and wave runners out, countless swims, building a maze of sandcastles all over the beach.

In the evening hours, Ethan laid on the ground while the triplets buried him in the sand. Half his body was covered, with his chest and head peeking out. "Sand is going up my butt," He said, wiggling his body under the sand.

After Patrick dumped a bucket over Ethan's chest, the boys palmed down the sand. Lewis shoved Patrick out of the way, and all three began wrestling around Ethan, shouting and laughing as they played.

Jasmine lounged in a beach chair, startled out of her sleep by their laughter. She peeked at them over her sunglasses. She shook her head, leaned back and fell back asleep.

Next to Jasmine, Dyson crouched down by Charlotte. "How are you?"

"Tired," She answered after a deep breath.

He set his jaw, and said hesitantly, "I know it's not my place, but do you want me to talk to Jon? Man to man, so to speak."

"No." She sighed out the word. "Jon has his own issues to work through and if he doesn't I'll move on." She turned her attention to Ethan, who stood, sand covering his shorts and body, and chased after the boys. She smiled, knowing that her children were lucky to have an uncle like Ethan.

Charlotte's eyes traveled over Dyson's shoulder, and her jaw opened, when she saw Jon jogging across the beach towards her.

When he reached her, he fell to his knees and clutched his heart. "Charlie, I've been a fool. Please forgive me."

Dyson quickly stepped away from the pair, to give them their privacy.

Silently, Charlotte glared at Jon.

"I can't live without you, please." Jon pleaded, with tears in his eyes. "I don't want to lose you."

"I deserve a supportive partner." She shot back, folding her arms to shield herself.

Jon's head drooped. "I do support you. I was a jealous idiot. I'm so sorry. What can I do to make all this better?"

"Why get jealous now? We've been together for years."

"I was suffering from an overabundance of pride, and I hurt my wife." He raised his head to look at her. "I panicked at the thought of you finding someone better."

Charlotte's eyes stung, and she gulped back her emotions. "That's absurd. If we don't have trust, we have nothing."

"Let me prove myself to you, please," He wiped the tears from his cheeks, his lip trembling.

Charlotte considered the situation; she felt she should give Jon another chance, that they should, at least, try to work things out. "Okay, but I'm going to keep an eye out for any signs of strange behavior." She jammed a finger into his chest, and he smiled.

He grabbed her hand and kissed her fingers. "Thank you, thank you, I'll make this up to you, I swear."

A few feet away, Abby squatted beside Mac, holding out her tiny palm with three colorful rocks in the center. "Look," She whispered as if it was a secret between them.

Mac smiled and squinted at her hand. "Those are beautiful."

"They're magic," Abby declared, touching each rock with her tiny finger.

Mac sucked in her cheeks to keep from laughing. "Yeah, I think they are." She dragged a finger through the sand. "Let's bury them and make a wish."

Abby looked at her. Undiluted innocence and excitement bathed her face. "Okay." Eagerly, she placed the rocks into the hole. She squeezed her eyes closed and mouthed a few words into the sky.

Mac patted the sand back into place. "What did you wish for?"

Abby's little fingers clasped Mac's cheeks, and she gave her the biggest smile her chubby little cheeks could muster. "A baby brother or sister." She giggled and ran away to play with her nephews.

From the terrace, overlooking the beach, Bo and Lauren stood together. With their arms around each other, they watched their rowdy family with ear-to-ear grins on their faces both basking in the happiness of the life they created together.

When the sun began to set, they exchanged a meaningful glance and smile before they rushed off to join their family.

 _The end…really this time…maybe…_

XXXXX

 **AN**

 **Thanks for reading these bonus chapters. It was fun revisiting these characters and story.**

 **I always like to leave a little open-endedness in my endings; I guess I'm not a fan of everything getting wrapped up neatly. Sorry if that's frustrating.**

 **And I'm just going to say I love Charlotte :) she's fun to write.**

 **Thanks again.**


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